Academic(Library((Collection(Development(Survey(
(2018!!
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!Academic!Library!Collection!Development!Survey!2018!
Table&of&Contents&Executive"Summary"..................................................................................................................................."3"Academic"Libraries’"Collections"......................................................................................................"3"Format"Preferences".............................................................................................................................."3"The"Academic"Library"Supply"Chain"............................................................................................."4"Print"Books".........................................................................................................................................."4"Ebooks"..................................................................................................................................................."4"
Collection"Development"....................................................................................................................."5"Print"Book"Purchasing"...................................................................................................................."5"Ebook"Purchasing"............................................................................................................................."6"Content"Discovery"............................................................................................................................"6"Challenges"to"Collection"Development"...................................................................................."6"
1."Collection"Overview:"Print"vs."Electronic"Books"......................................................................"8"Overall"Collection"Breakdown"........................................................................................................."8"Materials"Budget"Breakdown"........................................................................................................"10"Current"Materials"Budget"..........................................................................................................."10"Materials"Budget"In"Five"Years"................................................................................................"11"
Format"Driver"......................................................................................................................................"13"Format"Preferences"..........................................................................................................................."15"Print"Preference"............................................................................................................................."15"Ebook"Preference"..........................................................................................................................."17"
Etextbooks"............................................................................................................................................."19"2."The"Academic"Library"Supply"Chain".........................................................................................."20"Points"of"Purchase".............................................................................................................................."20"Print"Books"......................................................................................................................................."20"Ebooks"................................................................................................................................................"25"
3."Collection"Development"..................................................................................................................."30"Print"Book"Purchasing"......................................................................................................................"30"Ebook"Purchasing"..............................................................................................................................."32"Sources"of"Discovery"........................................................................................................................."33"Collection"Development"Challenges"..........................................................................................."34"Data"to"Help"Collection"Development"........................................................................................"37"Needed"Library"Services"................................................................................................................."39"
4."Conclusions"..........................................................................................................................................."43"Infinite"Content"..................................................................................................................................."43"“What"We"Have"Here"Is"a"Failure"to"Communicate”"..........................................................."43"“Everything"Is"Increasingly"CoZMingled.”"................................................................................"44"
5."Respondent"Demographics"............................................................................................................"45"Type"of"Library"...................................................................................................................................."45"
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Materials"Budget"............................................................................................................................"46"Respondent"Job"Title"........................................................................................................................."48"Role"in"Equipment"and"Supplies"Decisions"........................................................................"50"
Appendix."Methodology"and"Questionnaire"................................................................................"51"Methodology"........................................................................................................................................."51"Questionnaire"......................................................................................................................................."51"
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Executive&Summary&The"goal"of"this"study"was"to"learn"and"share"how"academic"librarians"approach"collection"development."The"data"in"this"report"is"based"on"responses"from"282"academic"librarians"who"are"involved"in"the"recommendation"or"purchasing"process"of"materials"for"their"library.""""
Academic&Libraries’&Collections&Book"holdings"are"weighted"toward"print,"with"60.3%"of"libraries’"collections"comprising"print"books"and"39.7%"ebooks.""
!%!of!total!collection!
Print!books! 60.3%!
Ebooks! 39.7%!
More"than"oneZthird"(37%)"of"academic"libraries’"materials"budgets"goes"to"databases"and"electronic"reference"materials,"followed"by"journals/serials"(23%)"and"print"books"(22%)."Ebooks"account"for"11%"of"libraries’"materials"budgets.""Asked"to"estimate"spending"five"years"out"(2022),"databases/electronic"reference"and"journals/serials"will"remain"at"about"the"same"overall"percentage"of"the"materials"budget"as"today"(38%"and"22%,"respectively)."Ebooks"see"a"small"uptick"to"15%,"print"books"a"small"downtick"to"16%,"and"media/streaming"media"a"two"percentage"point"bump"to"7%"of"total"materials"budget"spending.""
!%!of!current!
materials!budget!%!of!materials!
budget!in!5!years!Print!books! 22%! 16%!
Ebooks! 11%! 15%!
Journals/Serials! 23%! 22%!
Databases/Electronic!reference! 37%! 38%!
Media/Streaming!media! 5%! 7%!
Other! 2%! 2%!
Format&Preferences&The"decision"to"purchase"materials"in"print"or"electronic"form"is"driven"by"“faculty"preference”"(63%),"followed"by"“availability"of"content”"(60%),"“student"preference”"(59%),"and"“pricing”"(56%).""“Arts"&"humanities”"is"the"top"discipline"for"which"librarians"say"print"books"are"preferred"over"ebooks:"79%"feel"students/faculty"prefer"printZbased"arts"and"humanities"books."Number"two"is"“education”"(29%)."Only"6%"indicated"that"there"were"no"disciplines"where"print"is"preferred"over"digital.""On"the"other"hand,"“technology”"is"the"top"discipline"for"which"ebooks"are"the"preferred"format"(47%),"followed"by"“science”"(44%),"“business”"(34%),"and"“nursing”"(32%)."Almost"oneZfifth"(18%)"said"none"of"the"listed"disciplines"were"preferred"in"ebook"format."
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The&Academic&Library&Supply&Chain&
Print&Books&Academic"libraries"acquire"print"books"predominantly"from"library"services"vendors,"followed"by"online"consumer"retailers,"and"from"publishers"directly.""Where!do!you!purchase!print!books?!! %!of!respondents!
Library!services!vendor! 82%!
Online!consumer!retailer(s)! 68%!
PublisherQdirect! 46%!
Other! 5%!
What"advantages"do"libraries"find"in"working"with"each"of"those"print"book"providers?"Library"services"vendors"scored"high"for"“ease"of"ordering,”"“pricing/discounts,”"“workflow"efficiencies,”"and"“customer"service”"while"online"consumer"retailers"scored"highest"in"“speed"of"delivery.”"Purchasing"directly"from"publishers"did"not"score"as"high"as"the"other"two"options"in"any"of"the"main"identified"categories"but"scored"higher"in"“other”"category;"the"most"common"writeZin"response"was"“lack"of"availability”"from"other"sources.""
Why!do!you!work!with...?!! Library!services!vendor!
Online!consumer!
retailer!PublisherQ
direct!Ease!of!ordering! 83%! 63%! 17%!
Pricing/discounts! 74%! 59%! 38%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 70%! 19%! 5%!
Customer!service! 54%! 18%! 17%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 49%! 38%! 34%!
Speed!of!delivery! 36%! 83%! 18%!
Other! 7%! 10%! 33%!
Ebooks&Academic"libraries"acquire"ebooks"predominantly"from"vendors,"followed"by"publishers,"and—in"a"few"cases—from"online"consumer"retailers.""Where!do!you!purchase!ebooks?!! %!of!respondents!
Vendor! 88%!
PublisherQdirect! 36%!
Online!consumer!retailers! 5%!
Other! 10%!
"" "
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What"advantages"do"libraries"find"in"working"with"each"of"those"ebook"providers?""
Both"publishers"and"vendors"scored"equally"well"relative"to"“availability"of"ebook"packages”"but"vendors"had"additional"advantages"in"most"other"categories"including"“ease"of"ordering,”"workflow"efficiencies,”"and"“customer"service.”""
Why!do!you!work!with...?!! Vendor!PublisherQ
direct!!Availability!of!ebook!packages! 61%! 61%!
Compatibility!with!ebook!platform! 61%! 40%!
Ease!of!ordering! 49%! 26%!
Pricing/discounts! 49%! 56%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 43%! 20%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 43%! 39%!
Customer!service! 30%! 14%!
Speed!of!delivery! 27%! 19%!
User!models! 19%! 31%!
Other! 11%! 10%!
Collection&Development&
Print&Book&Purchasing&The"number"one"method"used"by"academic"libraries"to"order"print"books"is"“firm"orders”"(76%).""However,"it"is"worth"noting"that"firm"orders"and"continuations/standing"orders"are"often"outputs"of"approval"plans,"which"involve"detailed"profiling"of"titles"to"facilitate"discovery."""What!are!the!top!three!methods!you!use!for!print(book!purchasing?!Ranked!#1! %!of!respondents!
Firm!orders! 76%!
Approval!plans! 14%!
Continuations/standing!orders! 6%!
Other! 4%!
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Ebook&Purchasing&The"three"most"common"ebook"acquisition"models"are"“titleZbyZtitle”"(28%),"followed"by"“eCollections”"(25%),"and"“subscriptions”"(24%)."PostZgraduate"libraries"tend"to"favor"titleZbyZtitle"ordering,"while"twoZyear/community"colleges"lean"toward"subscriptions."What!are!the!top!three!methods!you!use!for!ebook!purchasing?!Ranked!#1! %!of!respondents!
TitleQbyQtitle! 28%!
eCollections! 25%!
Subscriptions! 24%!
Demand!Driven!Acquisition/Short!Term!Loan! 12%!
eQApproval!plans! 3%!
Evidence!based!acquisition! 2%!
Standing!Orders! 1%!
Other! 4%!
Content&Discovery&Academic"librarians"most"commonly"(37%)"use"“review"sites”"to"discover"content,"followed"by"“articles/journals”"(29%)."Only"10%"use"“publisher"websites,”"and"5%"use"“reading"lists/software.”"
Challenges&to&Collection&Development&The"top"challenges"to"collection"development"are"receiving"input"from"faculty,"making"format"decisions—print"vs."electronic,"and"time"constraints."(We"eliminated"“funding”"via"the"phrasing"of"the"question.)""" "
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Besides!funding,!what!is!the!biggest!challenge!in!collection!development!that!you!face?! %!of!respondents!
Communication!with!faculty/Faculty!involvement! 14%!
Format!decisions!(print!vs.!electronic)! 11%!
Time!constraints! 10%!
Limited!shelf!space! 7%!
Selecting!items!that!will!get!used! 7%!
Licensing!complexities!for!electronic!materials! 6%!
Finding!relevant!materials/Sourcing!materials! 6%!
Anticipating!needs!for!individual!courses! 4%!
Keeping!up!with!rapid!change!&!all!the!new!titles! 4%!
Checking!for!appropriateness!in!the!collection! 3%!
Covering!all!subject!areas!well/Distribution!of!funding! 3%!
Managing!eQresources! 3%!
Need!peerQreviewed!recommendations/reviews! 3%!
Weeding/Usage!stats! 3%!
Other! 17%!
What"would"help"facilitate"collection"development?"The"overwhelming"response"(57%)"was"“usage"statistics.”"The"far"distant"second"was"“circulation”"data"(18%)."""""""""""""
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1.&Collection&Overview:&Print&vs.&Electronic&Books&Since"2010,"Library'Journal"has"been"surveying"libraries"of"all"kinds"(public,"academic,"and"school)"about"the"penetration"and"usage"of"ebooks"in"their"institutions."While"ebooks"in"academic"libraries"hit"maximum"penetration"several"years"ago,"these"institutions"still"maintain"a"balance"of"print"vs."electronic"materials,"based"on"such"varying"criteria"as"availability,"cost,"and,"perhaps"most"importantly,"user"(student"and"faculty)"preference."These"preferences"can"vary"based"on"the"nature"of"the"content—books"vs."monographs,"vs."scholarly"studies"and"journal"articles,"etc."So"an"academic"library’s"“collection”"can"be"a"mix"of"print"and"electronic"materials,"what"we"normally"think"of"as"“books”"as"well"as"databases."Part"of"this"collection"can"also"be"resources"not"physically"(or"even"virtually)"located"in"the"library;"research"institutions"increasingly"have"become"portals"to"information"rather"than"repositories"of"that"information."Bear"these"things"in"mind"when"thinking"about"“collection"development”"throughout"this"report.""
Overall&Collection&Breakdown&What"is"the"composition"of"academic"libraries’"book"collections?"Generally"speaking,"academic"holdings"are"weighted"toward"print,"with"60.3%"of"libraries’"collections"comprising"print"books"and"39.7%"ebooks.""Figure'1.'Thinking'about'your'library’s'total'collection'of'books'and'ebooks,'what'is'the'approximate'percentage'breakdown'of'print'volumes'vs.'electronic'volumes'available?'All'libraries,'2017'Average'%'print:'60.3%'Average'%'ebooks:'39.7%'
"Total(respondents=271(
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As"materials"budgets"increase,"ebooks"constitute"an"increasing"percentage"of"the"overall"collection;"academic"libraries"with"$1"million+"materials"budgets"have"a"55.6%/44.4%"print/ebook"mix,"compared"to"65%/35%"among"<$100,000"libraries.""Table'1.'Thinking'about'your'library’s'total'collection'of'books'and'ebooks,'what'is'the'approximate'percentage'breakdown'of'print'volumes'versus'electronic'volumes'available?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
100%!print...0%!ebooks! 3%! 6%! 1%! 5%! 9%! 1%! 0%!
90%!print...10%!ebooks! 11%! 8%! 13%! 11%! 12%! 16%! 4%!
80%!print...20%!ebooks! 19%! 21%! 17%! 22%! 20%! 16%! 22%!
70%!print...30%!ebooks! 16%! 13%! 18%! 17%! 14%! 14%! 19%!
60%!print...40%!ebooks! 11%! 11%! 11%! 13%! 10%! 9%! 15%!
50%!print...50%!ebooks! 10%! 8%! 11%! 10%! 11%! 13%! 3%!
40%!print...60%!ebooks! 11%! 16%! 12%! 3%! 11%! 11%! 13%!
30%!print...70%!ebooks! 8%! 10%! 7%! 10%! 6%! 9%! 10%!
20%!print...80%!ebooks! 6%! 6%! 6%! 5%! 7%! 6%! 6%!
10%!print...90%!ebooks! 3%! 2%! 4%! 3%! 0%! 4%! 7%!
0%!print...100%!ebooks! 0%! 0%! 0%! 2%! 0%! 1%! 0%!
Average!%!print! 60.3! 60.2! 59.3! 62.5! 65.0! 58.2! 55.6!
Average!%!ebooks! 39.7! 39.8! 40.7! 37.5! 35.0! 41.8! 44.4!'"" &
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Materials&Budget&Breakdown&We"asked"academic"libraries"how"much"of"their"current"materials"budget"is"allocated"to"various"content"types"(print,"ebooks,"streaming"media,"etc.),"and"how"they"expect"that"allocation"to"change"in"the"next"five"years."
Current&Materials&Budget&The"bulk"of"academic"libraries’"materials"budgets"(37%)"goes"to"databases"and"electronic"reference"materials,"followed"by"journals/serials"(23%)"and"print"books"(22%)."At"present,"ebooks"account"for"11%"of"libraries’"materials"budgets.""Figure'2.'Please'approximate'the'percentage'of'your'library’s'materials'budget'devoted'to'each'of'the'following'material'types.'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=175(
Regardless"of"type"of"library"or"total"materials"budget,"ebooks"pretty"consistently"account"for"10–12%"of"libraries’"materials"budgets."Print"books"make"up"a"greater"percentage"of"twoZyear/community"college"budgets"compared"to"other"college"types,"and"a"substantially"greater"percentage"of"spending"by"libraries"that"have"<$100,000"materials"budget."Journals/serials"make"up"a"greater"percentage"of"the"budget"of"libraries"that"have"$1"million+"materials"budgets.""" '
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Table'2.'Please'approximate'the'percentage'of'your'library’s'materials'budget'devoted'to'each'of'the'following'material'types.'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Print!books! 22%! 32%! 18%! 21%! 37%! 20%! 10%!
Ebooks! 11%! 12%! 12%! 10%! 11%! 10%! 12%!
Journals/Serials! 23%! 11%! 25%! 30%! 12%! 19%! 38%!
Databases/Electronic!reference! 37%! 34%! 40%! 33%! 35%! 41%! 34%!
Media/Streaming!media! 5%! 7%! 5%! 4%! 3%! 7%! 5%!
Other! 2%! 4%! 1%! 3%! 2%! 3%! 1%!
Materials&Budget&In&Five&Years&Asked"to"estimate"spending"five"years"out"(2022),"databases/electronic"reference"and"journals/serials"will"remain"at"about"the"same"overall"proportion"of"the"materials"budget"as"today"(38%"and"22%,"respectively)."Ebooks"see"a"small"uptick"to"15%,"print"book"a"small"downtick"to"16%,"and"media/streaming"media"a"two"percentage"point"bump"to"7%"of"total"materials"budget"spending.""Figure'3.'What'do'you'suspect'your'library’s'materials'spending'breakdown'will'look'like'in'five'years?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=168(
"
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Table'3.'What'do'you'suspect'your'library’s'materials'spending'breakdown'will'look'like'in'five'years?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Print!books! 16%! 25%! 12%! 17%! 30%! 13%! 6%!
Ebooks! 15%! 17%! 15%! 13%! 17%! 14%! 15%!
Journals/Serials! 22%! 9%! 23%! 31%! 10%! 18%! 38%!
Databases/Electronic!reference! 38%! 35%! 42%! 33%! 37%! 44%! 33%!
Media/Streaming!media! 7%! 9%! 7%! 4%! 5%! 8%! 6%!
Other! 2%! 4%! 2%! 2%! 3%! 2%! 1%!
" &
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Format&Driver&What"drives"the"decision"to"purchase"materials"in"print"or"electronic"format?"Generally,"whatever"the"faculty"prefers:"63%"of"respondents"cited"“faculty"preference”"as"the"driver"of"a"given"format."“Availability"of"content”"is"also"a"top"driver"(60%),"as"is"“student"preference”"(59%)"and"“pricing”"(56%).""Figure'4.'What'drives'your'format'decision'to'purchase'print'versus'electronic'titles?''All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=275(
TwoZyear"and"community"colleges"are"less"influenced"by"faculty"preference"(43%)"and"more"by"student"preference"(70%)"than"other"types"of"academic"libraries.""" '
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Table'4.'What'drives'your'format'decision'to'purchase'print'versus'electronic'titles?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Faculty!preference! 63%! 43%! 66%! 75%! 49%! 66%! 75%!
Availability!of!content! 60%! 59%! 58%! 65%! 44%! 64%! 74%!
Student!preference! 59%! 70%! 53%! 63%! 65%! 59%! 51%!
Pricing! 56%! 59%! 51%! 68%! 53%! 53%! 63%!
University/Library!direction! 29%! 25%! 27%! 37%! 27%! 24%! 35%!
Speed!of!delivery! 19%! 13%! 17%! 29%! 13%! 17%! 31%!
Publisher! 11%! 10%! 10%! 17%! 8%! 14%! 15%!
Workflow!efficiency! 10%! 14%! 8%! 10%! 9%! 11%! 12%!Serving!online!courses/Multiple!campuses!(writeQin!answer)! 4%! 2%! 6%! 2%! 3%! 2%! 9%!
Licensing!available!(e.g.,!large!survey!classes,!go!with!multiQaccess!ebooks)!(writeQin!answer)!
3%! 3%! 3%! 5%! 1%! 4%! 4%!
Type!of!class/Subject!matter!(writeQin!answer)! 2%! 2%! 3%! 2%! 1%! 2%! 3%!
Space!(writeQin!answer)! 2%! 5%! 1%! 2%! 2%! 2%! 1%!
Platform!(writeQin!answer)! 2%! 2%! 2%! 2%! 0%! 4%! 1%!
Other!(minus!coded!answers)! 5%! 3%! 5%! 6%! 9%! 3%! 3%!
"" "
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Format&Preferences&As"we"have"commented,"format"preference"varies"according"to"the"nature"of"the"resource"(books"vs."journal"articles),"but"also"by"subject"or"discipline."In"this"section,"we"look"at"those"disciplines"in"which"print"materials"are"preferred,"and"those"in"which"ebookZrelated"materials"are"preferred.""
Print&Preference&Arts"&"humanities"is"by"far"the"top"discipline"for"which"print"books"are"preferred"over"ebooks—79%"of"respondents"said"this."The"number"two"printZpreferred"discipline"is"education,"down"at"29%."Six"percent"selected"“none"of"the"above.”""Figure'5.'In'which'disciplines'do'students/faculty'have'a'preference'for'print'books'over'ebooks?''All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=264(
" '
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Table'5.'In'which'disciplines'do'students/faculty'have'a'preference'for'print'books'over'ebooks?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Arts!&!Humanities! 79%! 84%! 80%! 71%! 75%! 83%! 78%!
Education! 29%! 44%! 27%! 23%! 33%! 32%! 22%!
Business! 19%! 32%! 18%! 10%! 28%! 22%! 6%!
Nursing! 19%! 54%! 11%! 5%! 29%! 22%! 4%!
Mathematics! 18%! 25%! 15%! 16%! 17%! 21%! 18%!
Sciences! 16%! 28%! 16%! 5%! 24%! 20%! 4%!
Law! 11%! 14%! 7%! 18%! 8%! 14%! 12%!
Medicine! 9%! 23%! 4%! 11%! 13%! 10%! 4%!
Technology! 9%! 16%! 7%! 8%! 15%! 9%! 3%!
Engineering! 6%! 11%! 6%! 2%! 9%! 5%! 3%!
Social!sciences!(writeQin!answer)! 4%! 7%! 4%! 3%! 4%! 7%! 1%!
Religion!(writeQin!answer)! 3%! 0%! 4%! 3%! 7%! 1%! 0%!
All!(writeQin!answer)! 2%! 0%! 1%! 3%! 2%! 0%! 1%!
Other!(minus!coded!answers)! 10%! 11%! 9%! 13%! 13%! 3%! 16%!
None!of!the!above! 6%! 4%! 7%! 5%! 4%! 8%! 4%!
"" "
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 17!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Ebook&Preference&Technology"is"the"top"discipline"for"which"ebooks"are"the"preferred"format,"selected"by"47%"of"respondents."Science"is"number"two,"selected"by"44%,"followed"by"business"(34%)"and"nursing"(32%)."Almost"oneZfifth"(18%)"selected"“none"of"the"above.”""Figure'6.'Please'select'the'disciplines'for'which'content'is'preferred'in'ebook'format'over'print.'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=255(
" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 18!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Table'6.'Please'select'the'disciplines'for'which'content'is'preferred'in'ebook'format'over'print.'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Technology! 47%! 51%! 43%! 51%! 30%! 51%! 63%!
Sciences! 44%! 33%! 47%! 49%! 28%! 44%! 63%!
Business! 34%! 25%! 36%! 39%! 22%! 33%! 50%!
Nursing! 32%! 30%! 32%! 33%! 23%! 32%! 48%!
Engineering! 24%! 23%! 20%! 34%! 10%! 19%! 47%!
Medicine! 23%! 16%! 20%! 38%! 10%! 22%! 44%!
Mathematics! 14%! 7%! 14%! 21%! 10%! 11%! 27%!
Education! 12%! 2%! 14%! 16%! 10%! 12%! 16%!
Law! 4%! 4%! 5%! 2%! 3%! 3%! 6%!
Arts!&!Humanities! 4%! 2%! 4%! 3%! 5%! 4%! 2%!
Reference!(writeQin!answer)! 2%! 2%! 1%! 5%! 3%! 1%! 3%!
Other!(minus!coded!answers)! 14%! 11%! 12%! 18%! 14%! 14%! 13%!
None!of!the!above! 18%! 26%! 18%! 13%! 32%! 15%! 6%!
"" &
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 19!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Etextbooks&Academic"libraries"are"not"very"involved"in"offering"eTextbooks—only"7%"order"them,"and"17%"are"currently"considering"it."ThreeZfourths"of"academic"libraries"do"not"order"eTextbooks.1"Figure'7.'Is'your'library'involved'in'ordering'eTextbooks?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=195(
Graduate"school"libraries—and"libraries"with"budgets"of"$1"million"or"more—are"the"most"likely"to"order"eTextbooks,"but"even"they"only"rise"to"11%"and"13%,"respectively."Table'7.'Is'your'library'involved'in'ordering'eTextbooks?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Yes,!we!order!eTextbooks! 7%! 3%! 7%! 11%! 3%! 6%! 13%!
No,!we!don't!order!eTextbooks! 76%! 90%! 76%! 65%! 86%! 79%! 65%!No,!we!don't!currently!order!eTextbooks,!but!we!are!considering!it!
17%! 8%! 17%! 24%! 10%! 15%! 23%!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""1"Library'Journal"studies"of"ebook"usage"in"academic"libraries"conducted"over"the"past"decade"(most"recently"in"2016)"have"found"very"little"interest"in"and"use"of"eTextbooks.""
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 20!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
2.&The&Academic&Library&Supply&Chain&In"this"section,"we"look"at"the"print"and"ebook"purchasing"process."From"whom"do"academic"libraries"purchase"print"and"ebooks?"What"criteria"do"they"use"when"making"book"purchases?"What"do"they"look"for"in"a"book"provider?""
Points&of&Purchase&The"supply"chain"for"print"books"differs"to"some"extent"from"that"for"ebooks."Let’s"look"at"each"in"turn."
Print&Books&The"majority"(82%)"of"academic"libraries"surveyed"purchase"print"books"from"a"library"services"vendor,"while"68%"purchase"from"an"online"consumer"retailer"(e.g.,"Amazon.com)."Nearly"oneZhalf"(46%)"buy"print"books"from"publishers"directly."ThirtyZsix"percent"of"libraries"use"a"single"source"for"print"books—most"of"them"exclusively"use"a"library"services"vendor."Figure'8.'Where'do'you'purchase'print'books'for'your'library?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=202(
" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 21!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Table'8.'Where'do'you'purchase'print'books'for'your'library?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Library!services!vendor! 82%! 82%! 80%! 90%! 73%! 79%! 95%!
Online!consumer!retailer(s)! 68%! 52%! 75%! 71%! 63%! 64%! 79%!
PublisherQdirect! 46%! 36%! 44%! 61%! 39%! 47%! 53%!
Other! 5%! 7%! 5%! 4%! 10%! 3%! 3%!
Use!a!single!source! 36%! 50%! 34%! 22%! 45%! 41%! 19%!
"" !
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 22!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Library!Services!Vendors!As"a"followZup"question,"we"asked"why"libraries"work"with"library"services"vendors"for"print"books."The"top"reason"(83%)"is"“ease"of"ordering,”"followed"by"“pricing/discounts”"(74%)"and"“workflow"efficiencies”"(70%).""Figure'9.'Why'do'you'work'with'a'library'services'vendor'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'library'services'vendors,'2017'
"Total(respondents=163(
“Ease"of"ordering”"is"the"top"advantage"of"using"a"library"services"vendor"across"the"board."TwoZyear/community"colleges"are"the"least"likely"to"find"“workflow"efficiencies”"an"advantage"(57%)""Table'9.'Why'do'you'work'with'a'library'services'vendor'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'library'services'vendors;'results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Ease!of!ordering! 83%! 83%! 79%! 91%! 82%! 81%! 86%!
Pricing/discounts! 74%! 71%! 77%! 68%! 75%! 75%! 73%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 70%! 57%! 75%! 70%! 61%! 66%! 80%!
Customer!service! 54%! 54%! 51%! 59%! 57%! 51%! 56%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 49%! 46%! 49%! 52%! 39%! 58%! 49%!
Speed!of!delivery! 36%! 34%! 33%! 41%! 36%! 37%! 34%!
Other! 7%! 9%! 10%! 0%! 2%! 10%! 7%!
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 23!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Online!Consumer!Retailer!When"it"comes"to"purchasing"books"through"an"online"consumer"retailer,"“speed"of"delivery”"(83%)"is"the"most"prominent"reason."“Ease"of"ordering”"(63%)"and"“pricing/discounts”"(59%)"are"important"to"over"half"the"sample,"but"not"the"primary"driver"of"ordering"from"online"consumer"retailers.""Figure'10.'Why'do'you'work'with'an'online'consumer'retailer'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'online'consumer'retailers,'2017'
"Total(respondents=138(
”Speed"of"delivery”"is"the"most"influential"driver"of"purchasing"print"books"from"an"online"consumer"retailer"for"all"institution"types"and"budget"sizes.""Table'10.'Why'do'you'work'with'an'online'consumer'retailer'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'online'consumer'retailers;'results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Speed!of!delivery! 83%! 74%! 86%! 80%! 79%! 79%! 88%!
Ease!of!ordering! 63%! 61%! 68%! 51%! 62%! 69%! 61%!
Pricing/Discounts! 59%! 65%! 62%! 46%! 62%! 73%! 43%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 38%! 48%! 33%! 43%! 38%! 40%! 39%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 19%! 22%! 18%! 20%! 13%! 21%! 22%!
Customer!service! 18%! 22%! 20%! 11%! 10%! 23%! 20%!
Other! 10%! 17%! 9%! 9%! 8%! 15%! 8%!
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 24!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Publisher!Direct!The"fortyZsix"percent"of"academic"libraries"that"purchase"print"books"directly"from"publishers"say"the"main"advantage"is"“pricing/discounts”"(38%),"followed"closely"by"“breadth"of"relevant"content”"(34%)."Some"titles"are"only"available"directly"from"the"publisher,"which"boosted"the"“other”"choice"to"33%.""Figure'11.'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'publishers,'2017'
"Total(respondents=92(
Table'11.'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'print'books?'Libraries'that'work'with'publishers;'results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Pricing/discounts! 38%! 27%! 40%! 40%! 43%! 31%! 39%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 34%! 33%! 36%! 30%! 22%! 34%! 42%!
Speed!of!delivery! 18%! 13%! 17%! 23%! 26%! 14%! 18%!
Customer!service! 17%! 7%! 17%! 23%! 30%! 14%! 12%!
Ease!of!ordering! 17%! 13%! 9%! 33%! 17%! 14%! 21%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 5%! 0%! 4%! 10%! 4%! 0%! 12%!
Other! 33%! 40%! 34%! 27%! 30%! 34%! 33%!
"
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 25!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Ebooks&Turning"to"ebook"purchasing,"88%"of"academic"libraries"purchase"ebooks"from"vendors,"compared"to"36%"who"purchase"them"directly"from"publishers."Only"5%"buy"ebooks"from"online"consumer"retailers."SixtyZfour"percent"use"a"single"source"for"ebooks"(most"often"vendors)."Figure'12.'Where'do'you'purchase'ebooks'for'your'library?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=194(
GraduateZlevel"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"purchase"ebooks"directly"from"publishers"(56%),"while"twoZyear/community"college"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"have"an"“other”"source"(most"commonly"identified"in"the"comments"as"a"consortium).""Table'12.'Where'do'you'purchase'ebooks'for'your'library?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Vendor! 88%! 83%! 92%! 87%! 77%! 92%! 94%!
PublisherQdirect! 36%! 26%! 32%! 56%! 19%! 38%! 48%!
Online!consumer!retailers! 5%! 2%! 8%! 2%! 5%! 5%! 5%!
Other! 10%! 17%! 7%! 9%! 16%! 7%! 8%!
Selected!only!one!source! 64%! 71%! 66%! 49%! 83%! 60%! 52%!
"
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 26!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Vendor!The"top"reasons"that"academic"libraries"purchase"ebooks"from"a"vendor"are"“compatibility"with"ebook"platform”"and"“availability"of"ebook"packages”"(both"selected"by"61%"of"respondents)."“Pricing/discounts”"and"“ease"of"ordering”"tied"at"number"two"(49%),"and"“workflow"efficiencies”"and"“breadth"of"relevant"content”"tied"at"number"three"(43%).""Figure'13.'Why'do'you'work'with'a'vendor'for'ebooks?'Libraries'that'work'with'vendors,'2017'
"Total(respondents=171(
TwoZyear/community"college"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"buy"ebooks"through"a"vendor"thanks"to"the"availability"of"ebook"packages"(69%)"as"well"as"pricing/discounts"(54%)."Libraries"with"the"lowest"materials"budgets"are"the"most"likely"to"work"with"a"vendor"due"to"package"deals"and"pricing/discounts.""" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 27!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Table'13.'Why'do'you'work'with'a'vendor'for'ebooks?'Libraries'that'work'with'vendors;'results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Availability!of!ebook!packages! 61%! 69%! 60%! 56%! 66%! 64%! 53%!Compatibility!with!ebook!platform! 61%! 66%! 59%! 62%! 52%! 72%! 55%!
Ease!of!ordering! 49%! 43%! 48%! 56%! 41%! 46%! 59%!
Pricing/discounts! 49%! 54%! 47%! 49%! 57%! 48%! 45%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 43%! 40%! 44%! 46%! 34%! 37%! 59%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 43%! 40%! 46%! 38%! 25%! 46%! 52%!
Customer!service! 30%! 23%! 33%! 31%! 27%! 28%! 36%!
Speed!of!delivery! 27%! 17%! 29%! 31%! 18%! 28%! 33%!
User!models! 19%! 11%! 20%! 23%! 7%! 22%! 24%!
Other! 11%! 11%! 11%! 8%! 9%! 12%! 10%!
"" !
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 28!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Publisher!Direct!Academic"libraries"buy"ebooks"directly"from"publishers"primarily"because"of"the"“availability"of"ebook"packages”"(61%),"followed"by"“pricing/discounts”"(56%).""Figure'14.'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'ebooks?'Libraries'that'work'with'publishers,'2017'
"Total(respondents=70(
GraduateZlevel"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"favor"publishers"for"ebook"purchasing"thanks"to"package"deals"as"well"as"pricing."TwoZyear/community"college"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"favor"publishers"due"to"ease"of"ordering"(36%)."Unlike"what"we"saw"with"vendors,"libraries"with"the"lowest"materials"budgets"are"the"least"likely"to"work"with"publishers"for"reasons"of"package"deals"and"pricing/discounts."Logically,"it"would"seem"these"libraries"can"get"better"deals"through"vendors"than"directly"from"publishers.""" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 29!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Table'14.'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'ebooks?'Libraries'that'work'with'publishers;'results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Availability!of!ebook!packages! 61%! 55%! 58%! 72%! 55%! 57%! 67%!
Pricing/discounts! 56%! 45%! 52%! 68%! 55%! 50%! 63%!Compatibility!with!ebook!platform! 40%! 36%! 36%! 48%! 36%! 39%! 43%!
Breadth!of!relevant!content! 39%! 36%! 39%! 40%! 27%! 39%! 40%!
User!models! 31%! 9%! 27%! 48%! 18%! 21%! 47%!
Ease!of!ordering! 26%! 36%! 21%! 28%! 36%! 25%! 23%!
Workflow!efficiencies! 20%! 0%! 15%! 32%! 18%! 18%! 23%!
Speed!of!delivery! 19%! 9%! 18%! 24%! 18%! 18%! 20%!
Customer!service! 14%! 9%! 12%! 20%! 9%! 7%! 23%!
Other! 10%! 18%! 9%! 8%! 9%! 14%! 7%!
""" "
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 30!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
3.&Collection&Development&In"this"section,"we"look"at"the"logistics"and"issues"involved"in"collection"development.""
Print&Book&Purchasing&The"number"one"method"for"ordering"print"books"is"“firm"orders”"(76%)."However,"it"is"worth"noting"that"firm"orders"and"continuations/standing"orders"are"often"outputs"of"approval"plans,"which"involve"detailed"profiling"of"titles"to"facilitate"discovery.""Figure'15.'What'are'the'top'three'methods'you'use'for'print'book'purchasing?'Ranked'#1'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=184(
" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 31!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Table'15.'What'are'the'top'three'methods'you'use'for'print'book'purchasing?'Ranked'#1'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
Ranked!#1! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Firm!orders! 76%! 79%! 77%! 69%! 76%! 84%! 66%!
Approval!plans! 14%! 13%! 11%! 22%! 9%! 7%! 25%!
Continuations/standing!orders! 6%! 8%! 5%! 6%! 9%! 5%! 5%!
Other! 4%! 0%! 6%! 3%! 6%! 4%! 5%!
"" &
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 32!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
Ebook&Purchasing&As"for"how"academic"libraries"acquire"ebooks,"titleZbyZtitle"is"the"number"one"method,"but"it"is"followed"closely"by"eCollections"(25%)"and"subscriptions"(24%).""Figure'16.'What'three'acquisition'models'do'you'use'most'often'for'ebook'purchasing?'Ranked'#1'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=181(
TitleZbyZtitle"acquisition"is"clearly"the"number"one"method"used"by"graduateZlevel"libraries"(45%)"to"acquire"ebooks."Subscriptions"are"the"top"method"among"twoZyear/community"college"libraries"(36%)."DemandZdriven"acquisition,"while"not"the"number"one"answer"for"4Zyear"colleges,"is"used"more"often"by"them"than"other"institution"types.""Table'16.'What'three'acquisition'models'do'you'use'most'often'for'ebook'purchasing?'NET'Ranking'1–3'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'Ranked'#1'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
Ranked!#1! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
TitleQbyQtitle! 28%! 19%! 26%! 45%! 26%! 31%! 27%!
eCollections! 25%! 22%! 29%! 15%! 24%! 30%! 20%!
Subscriptions! 24%! 36%! 20%! 23%! 28%! 30%! 14%!Demand!Driven!Acquisition/Short!Term!Loan! 12%! 8%! 17%! 5%! 6%! 6%! 24%!
eQApproval!plans! 3%! 3%! 4%! 3%! 4%! 0%! 7%!
Evidence!Based!Acquisition! 2%! 3%! 1%! 5%! 0%! 1%! 5%!
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 33!"
©!2018!Library(Journal.!All!rights!reserved.!www.LibraryJournal.com""
Sponsored"by"EBSCO"Information"Services!
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
Ranked!#1! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Standing!Orders! 1%! 3%! 0%! 0%! 0%! 1%! 0%!
Other! 4%! 6%! 4%! 5%! 12%! 0%! 3%!
Sources&of&Discovery&The"top"source"that"academic"librarians"use"to"discover"content"is"“review"sites”"(cited"by"37%)."This"is"followed"by"“articles/journals”"(29%)."Only"10%"use"“publisher"websites.”"Five"percent"of"respondents"selected"“reading"lists/software.”"“Other”"responses"included"faculty"request"and"direct"contact"by"vendors/publishers."Figure'17.'Which'of'the'following'sources'do'you'use'most'often'to'discover'content?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=197(
FourZyear"college"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"rely"on"reviews"sites"(47%),"and"twoZyear/community"college"libraries"are"the"most"likely"to"rely"on"articles"and"journals"(43%)."GraduateZlevel"libraries"are"very"likely"to"use"“other”"means"of"content"discovery,"such"as"faculty"request.""" '
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Table'17.'Which'of'the'following'sources'do'you'use'most'often'to'discover'content?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Reviews!sites! 38%! 30%! 47%! 26%! 33%! 44%! 34%!
Articles/journals! 29%! 43%! 24%! 23%! 40%! 27%! 19%!
Publisher!websites! 10%! 8%! 7%! 17%! 5%! 8%! 16%!
Reading!lists/software! 5%! 10%! 5%! 0%! 10%! 3%! 2%!
Word!of!mouth! 4%! 0%! 6%! 2%! 5%! 0%! 6%!
Other! 16%! 10%! 11%! 32%! 7%! 18%! 23%!
Collection&Development&Challenges&Aside"from"funding"(which"we"eliminated"via"the"phrasing"of"this"openZended"question),"the"top"challenge"to"collection"development"is"communication"with"faculty/faculty"involvement,"cited"by"14%"of"respondents."The"number"two"challenge"is"format"decisions—print"vs."electronic,"named"by"11%."The"number"three"challenge"is"time"constraints,"mentioned"by"10%."Given"that"the"top"challenge"was"only"identified"by"14%"of"responses,2"no"single"challenge"dominates;"different"libraries"can"differ"wildly"in"that"they"perceive"as"the"top"challenge"to"collection"development."(If"we"had"not"eliminated"“funding,”"however,"we"suspect"that"would"have"come"out"far"and"away"the"number"one"challenge.)""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""2"This"was"an"openZended,"writeZin"question."We"identified"common"issues"among"many"of"the"responses"and"grouped"them"together"accordingly.""
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Figure'18.'Besides'limited'funding,'what'is'the'biggest'challenge'in'collection'development'that'you'face?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=272(
TwoZyear/community"college"libraries"are"especially"constrained"by"time"(16%)"and"format"decisions"(16%)."FourZyear"academic"libraries"are"especially"challenged"by"lack"of"faculty"input"(17%)—although"graduateZlevel"libraries"are"least"challenged"by"communication"with"faculty"(5%)."GraduateZlevel"libraries"are"particularly"challenged"by"shelf"space"(11%)"as"well"as"anticipating"needs"for"individual"courses"(10%).""" '
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Table'18.'Besides'limited'funding,'what'is'the'biggest'challenge'in'collection'development'that'you'face?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Communication!with!faculty/!Faculty!involvement! 14%! 16%! 17%! 5%! 22%! 19%! 1%!
Format!decisions!(print!vs.!electronic)! 11%! 16%! 9%! 13%! 12%! 12%! 10%!
Time!constraints! 10%! 15%! 10%! 5%! 7%! 14%! 9%!
Limited!shelf!space! 7%! 7%! 6%! 11%! 7%! 6%! 9%!
Selecting!items!that!will!get!used! 7%! 11%! 6%! 6%! 10%! 4%! 6%!Licensing!complexities!for!electronic!materials! 6%! 0%! 8%! 8%! 2%! 4%! 13%!
Finding!relevant!materials/Sourcing!materials! 6%! 7%! 5%! 6%! 5%! 7%! 3%!
Anticipating!needs!for!individual!courses! 4%! 2%! 3%! 10%! 5%! 2%! 3%!
Keeping!up!with!rapid!change!&!all!the!new!titles! 4%! 5%! 2%! 6%! 5%! 4%! 3%!
Checking!for!appropriateness!in!the!collection! 3%! 5%! 3%! 3%! 2%! 2%! 1%!
Covering!all!subject!areas!well/Distribution!of!funding! 3%! 0%! 4%! 5%! 0%! 2%! 10%!
Managing!eQresources! 3%! 2%! 4%! 0%! 1%! 3%! 4%!Need!peerQreviewed!recommendations/reviews! 3%! 0%! 4%! 0%! 3%! 1%! 3%!
Weeding/Usage!stats! 3%! 3%! 3%! 0%! 2%! 3%! 3%!
Other! 17%! 11%! 16%! 22%! 16%! 15%! 19%!
"" "
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Data&to&Help&Collection&Development&In"another"openZended"question3,"we"asked"libraries"what"data"or"other"statistics"they"need"most"to"inform"their"collection"development."The"overwhelming"response"(57%)"was"“usage"statistics.”"A"far"distant"second"was"“circulation”"(18%).""Figure'19.'What'are'the'most'critical'data'points/stats'that'can'help'inform'your'collection'development?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=169(
TwoZyear/community"college"libraries"have"a"heightened"need"for"circulation"data"(26%)"and"curriculum/assignment"support"(26%)."""" '
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""3"This"was"an"openZended,"writeZin"question."We"identified"common"issues"among"many"of"the"responses"and"grouped"them"together"accordingly."
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Table'19.'What'are'the'most'critical'data'points/stats'that'can'help'inform'your'collection'development?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Usage!statistics! 57%! 54%! 57%! 58%! 45%! 57%! 65%!
Circulation! 18%! 26%! 17%! 14%! 26%! 14%! 15%!
Curriculum/assignment!support! 16%! 26%! 15%! 12%! 19%! 12%! 16%!
Faculty/user!requests! 12%! 14%! 11%! 12%! 21%! 8%! 9%!
Cost!per!use! 10%! 3%! 13%! 9%! 2%! 3%! 25%!
Price! 9%! 11%! 8%! 12%! 11%! 11%! 7%!
Turnaway!data! 5%! 3%! 6%! 5%! 0%! 8%! 5%!
Enrollment!in!specific!programs! 4%! 6%! 6%! 0%! 9%! 3%! 2%!
InterQlibrary!loan!(ILL)!stats! 4%! 6%! 1%! 7%! 0%! 8%! 2%!Subject!collection!development!policy! 4%! 3%! 2%! 7%! 0%! 5%! 5%!
Reviews! 2%! 3%! 2%! 2%! 0%! 5%! 2%!
Full!text!downloads! 2%! 0%! 3%! 0%! 0%! 3%! 2%!
Other! 24%! 29%! 20%! 26%! 32%! 23%! 18%!
"
" &
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Needed&Library&Services&An"openZended"question"asked"“what"library"services"do"you"need"that"would"be"helpful"in"your"collection"development"workflow?”""The"most"common"responses"are"grouped"below:""
• “Increased"data"analytics.”"o “More"data"analytics"on"the"usage"of"recently"acquired"materials;"that"could"
take"some"of"the"guesswork"out"of"my"purchasing"decisions"to"know"quickly"that"I’m"collecting"the"right"kinds"of"materials"that"our"students"are"really"using.”"
o “More"comprehensive"data"analytics"across"all"platforms"and"formats"with"breakdowns"by"details"subject"ranges"that"correspond"to"what"is"taught"here.”"
o “Data"analytics,"overlap"analysis,"ERM,"aggregated"reviews"source.”"o “Something"that"would"be"able"to"collate"circulation,"inZhouse"uses"alongside"
electronic"usage"statistics"AND"will"pull"cost"data"from"the"ILS"so"that"the"library"gains"a"comprehensive"picture"to"show"stakeholders"and"the"university"community.”"
o “I"need"more"analysis"support"within"the"library."Vendors"will"provide"analyses"with"a"spin,"so"it’s"not"good"enough.”"
• “Additional"content"models”""o “Pay"for"only"what"you"use”"o “Additional"content"models,"especially"with"etextbooks"and"ebooks.”"
• “Usage"statistics”""o “Better"use"data"from"eZvendors,"more"compliance"with"standards"such"as"
COUNTER.”"o “Compilation"of"stats"on"the"use"of"eZmaterials"(ebooks"and"ejournals)"from"
vendors."Once"a"year"stats"on"the"library"collection"usage.”"• “Reviews”"
o “Easier"way"for"faculty"to"convey"orders"from"review"sites."We"use"Choice"Reviews"Online,"but"faculty"generally"don't"use"it.”"
o “Inexpensive"access"to"title"reviews"(we"can"only"afford"LJ—Choice,"Booklist,"PW,"Kirkus"are"all"out"of"my"budget).”"
Other"responses"included:"• “An"easy"way"to"move"from"user"request"to"acquiring"the"material"without"double"
keying.”"• “An"efficient,"affordable"means"to"acquire"K12"eZtextbooks"which"could"be"accessed"
by"more"than"one"user"at"a"time."An"efficient"means"to"acquire"streaming"K12"content"from"educational"services"such"as"Discovery"Learning,"United"Streaming,"etc.,"that"would"offer"price"breaks"for"lower"numbers"of"user"rather"that"full"University"FTP.”"
• “Assistance"with"developing"meaningful"graphic"outputs.”"
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• “We"could"use"a"better"process"to"gather"faculty"input.”"• “Better"availability"of"ebook"with"release"of"print,"earlier"review"sources.”"• “Better"collection"assessment"tools."When"we"first"got"Intota"Assessment,"it"didn't"
work"accurately."A"year"ago"we"migrated"to"WMS"but"I"haven't"tried"their"assessment"tool"yet.”"
• “Better"integration"with"our"ILS.”"• “Better"subject"controls"in"online"selection"aids—BIP,"CHOICE.”"• “Compatible"formats,"platform"interoperability,"improved"business"models.”"• “Cooperative"partnerships.”"• “I"am"in"the"health"sciences,"and"the"number"of"ebooks"that"are"available"only"on"a"
leased"model"is"ridiculous."As"a"major"research"library,"we"need"to"keep"at"least"every"second"or"third"edition"for"posterity,"so"I"am"still"buying"print"to"fulfill"that"need,"in"addition"to"leasing"the"electronic"version.”"
• “More"models"for"assessing/mapping"content"to"current"research"and"learning."More"specific"guides"and"procedures"on"how"to"analyze"collection"components."UCONN"has"a"great"collection"development"policy"but"if"it"had"more"actual"examples"of"how"to"analyze"certain"parts"of"the"collection,"it"would"be"even"more"amazing.”"
• “Information"on"API"development,"especially"for"very"specific"local"needs.”"• “It"would"be"interesting"to"see"what"books"libraries"purchase"over"other"titles"in"the"
same"subject"realm"to"either"understand"what"is"popular,"or"to"identify"gaps"in"representation"that"might"be"occurring"with"disparate"purchasing.”"
• “Open"educational"resources"models.”"• “More"competitive"pricing.”"• “ShelfZready"vendor"processing"is"increasingly"important.”"• “Streaming"video"sites"with"broad"range"of"subject"offerings.”"• “SubjectZbased"recommendations"for"my"type"of"library.”"• “View"all"choices"in"ONE"place"(print,"ebook,"platforms,"cost).”"• “Whatever"gets"more"publishers"of"all"sizes"to"work"with"EBSCO"and"their"eZ\book"
PDA/DDA"plan."Continuation"of"Emery"Pratt’s"type"of"service."Possibly"further"refinement"of"Innovative’s"Sierra"system"acquisitions"module.”"
• “Would"like"ebook"platforms"to"be"compatible"with"each"other.”"
A"final"optional"openZended"question"asked"respondents"to"share"any"additional"thoughts"about"collection"development."Here"is"a"sampling"of"the"responses"(lightly"edited):""
• “Access"vs."ownership"is"not"a"settled"issue"in"some"libraries."Some"libraries"continue"to"embrace"the"library"as"a"warehouse"of"information"vs."the"library"as"access"point"to"information."Some"librarians"are"leery"of"automated"tools"to"facilitate"selection,"with"worries"that"all"libraries"will"look"the"same"if"we"all"rely"on"curated"title"lists,"etc.”"
• “As"a"solo"librarian"at"a"very"small"college,"library"time"is"often"my"biggest"challenge"in"collection"development.”"
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• “At"my"library,"recommendation"of"titles"for"purchase"is"completely"divorced"from"acquisitions."I"rely"heavily"on"reviews"of"individual"titles,"except"in"the"case"of"large"ebook"collections.”"
• “Collaboration"is"huge"in"our"collection"development."Except"for"Reserve"shelf"titles,"faculty"recommendations,"etc.,"we"always"check"whether"a"title"is"in"our"consortium"and"how"many"copies."We"have"over"150,000"ebooks"through"the"consortium"but"other"than"those,"everyone’s"ebooks"are"limited"to"their"own"students"while"print"books"are"shared"rapidly"by"courier"or"walkZin.”"
• “Even"in"the"large"research"university,"the"shift"is"more"to"justZinZtime"than"maintaining"a"collection"waiting"for"use"unless"it"has"some"unique"aspects."We"can’t"collect"everything;"we"need"to"be"able"to"get"it"effectively"and"efficiently.”"
• “Everything"is"increasingly"coZmingled.”"• “I"buy"for"a"small"university"library"supporting"a"very"specific"curriculum."While"I’m"
interested"in"small,"very"focused,"ebook"packages,"‘big"deals’"are"not"a"good"use"of"our"limited"funds.”"
• “I"need"stronger"consortia"and"more"leverage"with"publishers/vendors"more"than"I"need"more"data.”"
• “I"work"at"a"health"sciences"library"that"is"part"of"a"large"university"library."The"differences"in"collections"issues"between"the"humanities"and"the"sciences"can"be"very"frustrating.""I"don’t"WANT"to"spend"hundreds"of"thousands"of"dollars"on"ebook"packages,"but"at"the"moment"I"have"to"because"that"is"the"only"way"they"are"available.”"
• “I"would"like"to"see"greater"investment"from"libraries,"publishers,"and"vendors"for"open"access"models.”"
• “It’s"the"wild"west"out"there.”"• “List"of"publishers—who"offers"standing"orders"for"print"(percent"discount)"who"
offers"standing"orders"for"eBooks.”"• “More"technical"collegeZrelated"reviews.”"• “Statistics"are"helpful"in"knowing"what"is"an"effective"purchase/lease.”"• “The"ebook"landscape"is"unnecessarily"complicated"and"unfriendly"to"users."They"
need"to"get"their"act"together.”"• “There"is"still"much"to"be"said"for"not"selling"a"campus’s"soul"to"big"commercial"
publishers"via"mass"buying"of"their"‘eZpackages’"and"actually"getting"your"hands"dirty"and"curating"a"collection"specifically"with"your"users"in"mind"(means"being"very"proactive"and"talking"to"your"faculty/instructors/administrators).”"
• “There"seems"to"be"what"amounts"to"a"generational"war"between"selectors"who"wish"to"follow"‘just"in"case’"service"models"and"those"who"want"to"follow"‘just"in"time’"models."This"needs"to"be"discussed"and"the"realities"of"modern"collection"development"need"to"be"recognized"and"addressed.”"
• “We"are"evaluating"our"collections"as"a"whole"for"the"first"time"in"our"institution’s"history—and"we"were"established"in"the"late"1800s."We"wish"to"be"more"strategic"in"our"collection"development."However,"our"budget"has"dropped"so"precipitously"that"implementing"many"of"our"ideas"is"challenging.”"
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• “We"are"exploring"OER"with"our"faculty"and"looking"for"more"Open"Access"resources.”"
• “We"are"small"enough"that"we"notice"what"is"used"by"students."We"replace"or"duplicate"materials"that"are"used"often."I’ve"talked"individually"with"students."They"still"prefer"print"materials"over"electronic.”"
• “We"get"a"lot"of"ebook"packages"through"our"various"institutional"agreements."That"does"save"time"but"it"means"that"we"lost"the"uniqueness"of"our"collection."We"pay"for"ebooks"that"no"one"will"use"(or"will"use"very"little),"much"like"the"big"journal"packages."There"has"been"a"growing"acceptance"of"electronic"books"but"DRM"limitations"are"highly"unpopular."I"also"see"more"people"going"to"multiple"monitors"in"order"to"have"their"work"on"one"screen"and"resources"in"another"(ebook,"journal,"spreadsheets,"etc.)."This"transition"from"print"to"electronic"books"is"a"more"difficult"one"than"the"transition"from"print"to"electronic"journals.""Images,"graphs,"any"sort"of"visual"representation"of"data"can"be"difficult"with"ebooks"because"of"screen"size."It’s"more"difficult"to"read"a"lot"of"material"from"a"computer"screen."And"there"continue"to"be"studies"saying"that"students"learn"better"from"print"than"from"electronic"books."We"are"forging"ahead"into"this"a"little"quickly,"I"feel.”"
• “We"need"less"collections"and"more"services."Our"model"is"broken.”"• “We"need"to"have"more"input"from"the"faculty/research"community"Z"some"process"
to"streamline"this"communication"would"be"ideal.”"
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4.&Conclusions&&
Infinite&Content&Academic"libraries"struggle"with"a"preponderance"of"content"in"many"different"forms,"from"print"books,"to"ebooks"(as"we"think"of"ebooks—electronic"versions"of"print"titles—as"well"as"PDFs,"web"pages"like"Project"Gutenberg,"Google"Books"page"scans,"and"so"on),"to"databases,"to"journals"and"periodicals,"to"streaming"video"and"other"media."So"a"library’s"“collection”"is"the"aggregate"of"all"these"things."The"primary"challenge"they"face"is"determining"what"materials"to"acquire"and"in"what"format.""As"we"said"in"our"2016'Survey'of'Ebook'Usage'in'U.S.'Academic'Libraries,"academic"libraries"differ"from"public"libraries"in"that"their"collections"exist"for"two"different"purposes:"to"provide"students"and"faculty"with"books"for"coverZtoZcover"reading—for"coursework"or"pleasure—and"to"facilitate"and"support"scholarly"research"for"essays,"theses,"and"student/faculty"papers"intended"for"journal"articles"or"other"publications."As"a"result,"users"have"a"different"rationale"for"how"they"use"books"in"general"and"ebooks"in"particular.""Indeed,"even"the"same"user"can"have"two"different"approaches"to"using"books."So"when"we"find,"as"we"did"in"our"2016"study,"that"the"leading"barrier"to"ebook"adoption"was"that"“students"prefer"print,”"we"need"to"understand"that"they"don’t"prefer"print"for"all"types"of"content"or"in"every"situation."This"study"suggests"that"arts"and"humanities"materials"are"more"likely"to"be"embraced"in"print,"while"eZversions"of"science"and"technology"materials"are"more"popular.""Almost"a"decade"of"ebook"research"has"also"found"that"ebook"usability"issues"have"not"been"resolved"to"everyone’s"satisfaction,"particularly"among"academic"libraries."As"we"wrote"in"the"2016"report:"
Think"about"the"graduate"student"in"the"pressureZcooker"environment"that"grad"school"can"be."If"s/he"is"in"any"of"the"sciences,"s/he’s"designing"and"running"experiments,"hoping"the"results"support"the"thesis"they"have"been"designed"to"prove,"and"doing"all"the"necessary"literature"reviews,"often"on"a"deadline."With"all"that"going"on,"is"there"any"time"or"patience"for"problems"with"the"basic"usability"of"research"materials?"Print"is,"most"of"the"time,"a"completely"hassleZfree"format."Any"ebook"platform"truly"designed"to"serve"the"academic"student"needs"to"be"cognizant"of"and"address"these"issues."
Negative"comments"about"DRM"issues"in"ebooks"persist,"and"they"remain"one"of"the"primary"barriers"to"ebook"adoption"and"why"print"is"so"often"the"favored"format.""
“What&We&Have&Here&Is&a&Failure&to&Communicate”&One"of"the"takeaways"from"the"current"study"is"that"communication"between"the"library"and"the"rest"of"the"faculty"is"lacking."There"needs"to"be"an"easy"way"for"all"the"parties"that"oversee"and"use"the"academic"library"to"communicate"their"needs"and"preferences."Faculty"input"is"part"of"it,"but"our"respondents"overwhelmingly"need"usage"statistics,"which"can"go"a"long"way"toward"helping"determine"what"they"should"be"acquiring,"and"what"will"sit"unused.""
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“Everything&Is&Increasingly&CoVMingled.”&Clearly"there"is"no"“one"size"fits"all”"collection"development"approach"or"philosophy"that"works"for"all"libraries."Beyond"balancing"print"and"ebook"acquisitions,"there"are"acquisition"model"choices"that"must"be"made."In"the"words"of"one"survey"respondent,"“[The"tension"between]"selectors"who"wish"to"follow"‘just"in"case’"service"models"and"those"who"want"to"follow"‘just"in"time’"models….needs"to"be"discussed"and"the"realities"of"modern"collection"development"need"to"be"recognized"and"addressed.”"Even"the"choices"that"libraries"must"make"relative"to"where"they"should"acquire"content"have"become"more"complex."Should"libraries"purchase"their"books"from"library"service"vendors,"directly"from"publishers,"online"consumer"retailers"or"all"of"the"above?"As"another"survey"respondent"indicated"when"asked"to"share"their"final"thoughts"on"the"current"state"of"collection"development,"“Everything"is"increasingly"coZmingled.”""""" "
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5.&Respondent&Demographics&
This"section"provides"a"basic"demographic"profile"of"the"libraries"that"responded"to"our"2017"survey."
Type&of&Library&Just"over"oneZhalf"of"our"survey"respondents"(53%)"were"undergraduate/fourZyear"college/university"libraries,"24%"were"graduate/professional"academic"libraries,"and"22%"were"twoZyear"or"community"colleges.""Figure'20.'Which'of'the'following'best'describes'your'library?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=282(
Table'20.'What'type'of'library'do'you'work'in?'Results'by'total'materials'budget,'2017'& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! <!$100,000!$100K!Q!$999K!
$1!million!+!
Undergraduate!or!4Qyear!college/university!library! 49%! 53%! 59%!
Graduate/professional!academic!library!(e.g.,!law!library,!medical!library,!etc.)! 15%! 17%! 39%!
Community!college!or!2Qyear!college!library! 33%! 29%! 1%!
Trade!school!or!vocational!college! 2%! 1%! 0%!
(
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 46!"
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Materials&Budget&The"mean"annual"materials"budget"of"our"survey"respondents"was"$1.3"million"(median"$204,000).""Figure'21.'What'is'your'library's'total'materials'budget'for'this'academic'year?'All'libraries,'2017'Mean:'$1,306,600'Median:'$204,000'
"Total(respondents=255(
Table'21.'What'is'your'library's'total'materials'budget'for'this'academic'year?'Results'by'type'of'library,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level!Under!$50,000! 20%! 22%! 20%! 16%!
$50,000–$99,999! 16%! 29%! 13%! 9%!
$100,000–$249,999! 20%! 37%! 15%! 14%!
$250,000–$499,999! 9%! 10%! 10%! 5%!
$500,000–$999,999! 8%! 0%! 11%! 9%!
$1–$2.49!million! 15%! 2%! 20%! 18%!
$2.5–$4.9!million! 5%! 0%! 4%! 12%!
$5!million!or!more! 7%! 0%! 6%! 18%!
Mean!($!thousands)! 1306.6! 158.9! 1161.5! 2905.0!
Median!($!thousands)! 204.6! 97.6! 285.6! 849.3!
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 47!"
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As"for"how"libraries’"materials"budgets"have"changed"in"the"past"five"years,"oneZhalf"reported"that"it"has"stayed"about"the"same,"oneZthird"said"that"it"decreased,"and"only"17%"reported"an"increase"in"the"annual"materials"budget"since"2012."The"average"overall"change"in"libraries’"materials"budgets"in"the"past"five"years"was"Z2.6%.""Figure'22.'How'has'your'library’s'materials'budget'changed'in'the'past'five'years?'All'libraries,'2017'Overall'change:'^2.6%'
"Total(respondents=233(
Only"graduateZlevel"libraries"reported"a"net"increase"in"their"materials"budgets"in"the"past"five"years—and"that"was"only"0.1%."Both"fourZyear"and"twoZyear"college"libraries"reported"a"net"decrease—twoZyear"colleges"as"much"as"Z4.3%."And"only"the"most"lavishly"budgeted"libraries"($1+"million"annual"budget)"experienced"a"budget"increase"that"averaged"+2.6%.""Table'22.'How'has'your'library’s'materials'budget'changed'in'the'past'five'years?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Increased! 18%! 16%! 15%! 23%! 6%! 21%! 28%!
Decreased! 33%! 36%! 33%! 30%! 41%! 28%! 26%!
Stayed!the!same! 50%! 48%! 51%! 47%! 53%! 52%! 46%!
Overall!percent!change:! Q2.6! Q4.3! Q3.4! 0.1! Q7.7! Q1.3! 2.6!
"
" &
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 48!"
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Respondent&Job&Title&Who"at"the"library"responded"to"our"survey?"OneZfifth"(21%)"identified"themselves"as"the"library"director"or"assistant"director"and"another"fifth"(20%)"were"reference/information"services"librarians."Figure'23.'Which'of'the'following'comes'closest'to'your'job'title?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=281(
Table'23.'Which'of'the'following'comes'closest'to'your'job'title?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Library!director/Assistant!library!director! 21%! 22%! 24%! 15%! 26%! 23%! 17%!
Reference/Information!services!librarian! 20%! 32%! 17%! 16%! 19%! 21%! 12%!
Collection!development/Materials!selection!librarian!
12%! 11%! 11%! 16%! 9%! 9%! 20%!
Head!librarian/Department!head! 10%! 6%! 13%! 7%! 9%! 12%! 9%!
Acquisitions!librarian! 7%! 10%! 6%! 9%! 2%! 11%! 13%!
Instructional!services!librarian! 7%! 13%! 6%! 4%! 7%! 8%! 6%!
Library!administrator! 2%! 0%! 2%! 4%! 3%! 1%! 4%!
Electronic!resources!librarian! 2%! 0%! 3%! 3%! 0%! 1%! 6%!
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 49!"
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& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
Library!manager! 2%! 0%! 1%! 4%! 4%! 1%! 1%!
Technical!services/IT!librarian! 2%! 2%! 1%! 4%! 1%! 4%! 0%!
Cataloging!librarian! 2%! 2%! 2%! 1%! 5%! 0%! 0%!
Serials!librarian! 1%! 0%! 2%! 0%! 2%! 1%! 0%!
Systems!librarian! 1%! 0%! 2%! 0%! 1%! 2%! 0%!
Access!services!librarian! 1%! 0%! 1%! 0%! 0%! 2%! 0%!
Other! 9%! 3%! 9%! 13%! 11%! 3%! 12%!
"" &
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Role&in&Equipment&and&Supplies&Decisions&Nearly"twoZthirds"(64%)"of"our"survey"respondents"make"the"final"purchasing"decisions"for"their"library,"and"a"further"47%"make"purchasing"recommendations."""Figure'24.'What'is'your'involvement'in'the'recommendation'or'purchasing'of'materials'for'your'library?'All'libraries,'2017'
"Total(respondents=282(
Table'24.'What'is'your'involvement'in'the'recommendation'or'purchasing'of'materials'for'your'library?'Results'by'type'of'library'and'total'materials'budget,'2017'
& TYPE&OF&LIBRARY& TOTAL&MATERIALS&BUDGET&
! !Total!
2!yr/!Community!
College!
4!yr/!College/!
Univ!Graduate!
level! <!$100,000!$100K–!$999K! $1!million+!
I!make!the!final!purchasing!decisions! 64%! 57%! 70%! 57%! 60%! 65%! 70%!
I!make!recommendations!of!materials!to!purchase! 47%! 48%! 46%! 49%! 43%! 47%! 52%!
No!involvement! 0%! 0%! 0%! 0%! 0%! 0%! 0%!
""" '
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Appendix.&Methodology&and&Questionnaire&
Methodology&Library'Journal'emailed"a"survey"invite"to"nearly"7,000"academic"libraries"on"October"13,"2017"with"a"reminder"to"nonZresponders"on"October"20."A"drawing"to"win"a"$150"Visa"gift"card"was"offered"as"incentive"to"reply."The"survey"closed"on"November"3,"2017"with"282"responses."The"survey"instrument"was"developed"in"conjunction"with"the"sponsor,"EBSCO"Information"Services."Library'Journal’s"research"department"programmed,"collected,"and"tabulated"the"responses."The"data"is"unweighted.'
Questionnaire&Academic'Library'Collection'Development'Survey'1. Which'of'the'following'best'describes'your'library?'
!"Trade"school"or"vocational"college"!"Community"college"or"2Zyear"college"library"!"Undergraduate"or"4"year"college/university"library"!"Graduate/professional"academic"library"(e.g."law"library,"medical"library,"etc.)"!"None"of"the"above"[thank"and"terminate"the"survey]"
2. 'Which'of'the'following'comes'closest'to'your'job'title?''!"Access"services"librarian"!"Acquisitions"librarian"!"Cataloging"librarian"!"Collection"development/Materials"selection"librarian"!"Electronic"resources"librarian"!"Head"librarian/Department"head"!"Instructional"services"librarian"!"Library"administrator"!"Library"director/Assistant"library"director"!"Library"manager"!"Reference/Information"Services"librarian"!"Serials"librarian"!"Systems"librarian"!"Technical"Services/IT"librarian"!"Other"(please"specify)_______________________"
3. What'is'your'involvement'in'the'recommendation'or'purchasing'of'materials'for'your'library?'!"I"make"the"final"purchasing"decisions"!"I"make"recommendations"of"materials"to"purchase"!"No"involvement"[thank"and"skip"out]""
" '
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4. Besides'limited'funding,'what'is'the'biggest'challenge'in'collection'development'that'you'face?''__________________________________________________________________________________"
5. Thinking'about'your'library’s'total'collection'of'books'and'ebooks,'what'is'the'approximate'percentage'breakdown'of'print'volumes'versus'electronic'volumes'available?''!"100%"print……0%"ebooks"!"90%"print…..10%"ebooks"!"80%"print….."20%"ebooks"!"70%"print….."30%"ebooks"!"60%"print"…..40%"ebooks"!"50%"print"…..50%"ebooks"!"40%"print….."60%"ebooks"!"30%"print"…..70%"ebooks"!"20%"print"…..80%"ebooks"!"10%"print…..90%"ebooks"!"0%"print"…..100%"ebooks"
6. What'drives'your'format'decision'to'purchase'print'versus'electronic'titles?'Please'check'all'that'apply.'!"Pricing"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"Publisher"!"Faculty"preference"!"Student"preference"!"Workflow"efficiency"!"University/Library"direction"!"Availability"of"content"!"Other,"please"specify:______________________________"
7. In'which'disciplines'do'students/faculty'have'a'preference'for'print'books'over'ebooks?'Please'check'all'that'apply.'!"Arts"&"Humanities"!"Business"!"Education"!"Engineering"!"Law"!"Mathematics"!"Medicine"!"Nursing"!"Sciences""!"Technology"!"Other,"please"specify:_________________________________"!"None"of"the"above"
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 53!"
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8. Please'select'the'disciplines'for'which'content'is'preferred'in'ebook'format'over'print.'Check'all'that'apply.'!"Arts"&"Humanities"!"Business"!"Education"!"Engineering"!"Law"!"Mathematics"!"Medicine"!"Nursing"!"Sciences""!"Technology"!"Other,"please"specify:_________________________________"!"None"of"the"above"
"9. What'is'your'library's'total'materials'budget'for'this'academic'year?'Please'
answer'in'U.S.'dollars.'!"Under"$50,000,"please"specify"$_______" !"$500,000"Z"$999,999"!"$50,000"Z"$99,999" " " " !"$1"Z"$2.49"million"!"$100,000"Z"$249,999" " " " !"$2.5"Z"$4.9"million"!"$250,000"Z"$499,999" " " " !"$5"million"or"more,"please""" " " " " " " specify"$______________________"
10. How'has'your'library’s'materials'budget'changed'in'the'past'five'years?''!"Increased,"by"what"percent?"________%"!"Decreased,"by"what"percent?"_______%"!"Stayed"the"same"!"Don’t"know"
11. Please'approximate'the'percentage'of'your'library’s'materials'budget'devoted'to'each'of'the'following'material'types.'What'do'you'suspect'your'library’s'materials'spending'breakdown'will'look'like'in'five'years?'
Each"column"must"add"to"100%"Current""%"of"materials"budget"
Estimated"%"of"spending"in"5"
years"
Print"books"" %" %"
Ebooks"" %" %"
Journals" %" %"
Databases/Electronic"reference" %" %"
Media/Streaming"media" %" %"
Other" %" %"
" " " " " " " " 100%" " 100%""
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 54!"
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12. Where'do'you'purchase'print'books'for'your'library?'Please'check'all'that'apply.'!"Library"services"vendor"!"Online"consumer"retailer(s)"!"PublisherZdirect"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
13. [if'library'services'vendor]'Why'do'you'work'with'a'library'services'vendor'for'print'books?'Please'check'all'that'apply.'!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
14. [If'online'consumer'retailers]'Why'do'you'work'with'online'consumer'retailers'for'print'books?'Check'all'that'apply.'!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
15. [If'publisher^direct]'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'print'books?'Check'all'that'apply.'!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
16. Where'do'you'purchase'ebooks'for'your'library?'Please'check'all'that'apply.'!"Vendor"!"Online"consumer"retailers"!"PublisherZdirect"!"Other,"please"specify:______"
" '
Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 55!"
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17. [If'vendor]'Why'do'you'work'with'a'vendor'for'ebooks?'!"Availability"of"ebook"packages"!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Compatibility"with"ebook"platform"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"User"models"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:______"
18. [if'online'consumer'retailer]'Why'do'you'work'with'online'consumer'retailers'for'ebooks?'!"Availability"of"ebook"packages"!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Compatibility"with"ebook"platform"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"User"models"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
19. [if'publisher^direct]'Why'do'you'work'with'publishers'directly'for'ebooks?'!"Availability"of"ebook"packages"!"Breadth"of"relevant"content"!"Compatibility"with"ebook"platform"!"Customer"service"!"Ease"of"ordering"!"Pricing/Discounts"!"Speed"of"delivery"!"User"models"!"Workflow"efficiencies"!"Other,"please"specify:__________"
20. What'are'the'most'critical'data'points/stats'that'can'help'inform'your'collection'development?''_______________________________________________"
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Academic(Library(Collection(Development(Survey! 56!"
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21. What'are'the'top'three'methods'you'use'for'PRINT'book'purchasing?'Please'rank'your'top'three'answers.'!"Firm"orders" " " " " 1.___"!"Continuations/standing"orders" " 2.___"!"Approval"plans" " " " 3.___"!"Other,"please"specify________________"
22. What'three'acquisition'models'do'you'use'most'often'for'EBOOK'purchasing?''Please'rank'your'top'three'answers.'!"Subscriptions" " " " " 1.___"!"TitleZbyZtitle" " " " " 2.___"!"eCollections" " " " " 3.___" "!"eZApproval"plans"!"Demand"Driven"Acquisition/Short"Term"Loan"!"EvidenceZbased"acquisition"!"Standing"orders"!"Other,"please"specify:______________"
23. Which'of'the'following'sources'do'you'use'most'often'to'discover'content?'Please'select'only'one.'!"Articles/Journals"!"Publisher"Websites"!"Reading"Lists/Software"!"Review"Sites"!"Word"of"Mouth"!"Other,"please"specify:____________"
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24. [if'NOT'none'of'the'above]'How'important'is'reading'list'functionality'to'your'staff'in'managing'faculty'requests?'!"Critical"!"Important"!"Somewhat"important"!"Not"important"!"I"don't"know"
25. Is'your'library'involved'in'ordering'eTextbooks?'!"Yes,"we"order"eTextbooks"!"No,"we"don’t"order"eTextbooks"!"No,"we"don’t"currently"order"eTextbooks"but"are"considering"it"
26. What'library'services'do'you'need'that'would'be'helpful'in'your'collection'development'workflow?'(e.g.,'additional'content'models,'data'analytics,'etc.)'___________________________________________________________'
27. [Optional]'Please'use'the'space'below'for'any'additional'thoughts'about'collection'development'that'you'want'to'share.'____________________________________________________________'
28. Are'you'interested'in'being'entered'into'the'drawing'for'a'$150'VISA'gift'card?'Two'gift'cards'will'be'given'away.'!"Yes"!"No,"thanks"
[If'yes]'Please'provide'your'contact'information'below'to'be'entered'into'the'drawing.'The'winner'will'be'notified'via'email.'
Your"name:_____________________________"Institution:"_____________________________"Email:___________________________________"
"