1 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy

Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Art Librarys Collection Development Policy Kelly Brooks Emporia State University October 6th, 2013

2 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy Table of Contents Executive Summary..3 Introduction...3 Mission and Goals.....4 Collection Scope....5 Service Population5 Responsibility for Selection.6 Selection for Criteria/Formats Collected...6 Special Features...7 Areas of Improvement.7 E-Resources...8 Conclusion.8

3 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy Executive Summary: This report analyzes the collection development policy of Cranbrook Art Academy. It seeks to evaluate the usefulness of the policy and determine potential weaknesses by applying theory from Collection Management Basics and assorted library literature. Picket et al. (2011) states, One cannot dismiss the fact that CDPSs are an effective communication tool for summarizing collection priorities, initiatives, goals, and cooperative agreements (p.166). Therefore, a good collection development policy will clearly communicate information on each of these topics. The author determined policy strengths include selector responsibility and selection process, criteria for selection and types of formats collected. Areas of improvement include scope of collections (especially a discussion of online collection), budget limitations, and organizational structure. Introduction: Evans and Sapanoros work Collection Management Basics outlines ten fundamental areas that a collection development policy will generally include. These consist of: the connection of the policy to the library and parent organization, collection goals, a breakdown of patron population, the scope and depth of coverage, the party responsible for making selections, special requirements to the selection process, the relationship between branches and central libraries, deselection practices, and the method of handling challenged materials (2002, p. 72). Of course, the number of these criteria included will vary from policy to policy, and every policy will be unique to the library it serves. The Cranbrook Art Academy is a small special college that offers graduate and professional degree programs for a student population of fewer than 1,000. Students are

4 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy enrolled in art, architecture, or design programs. The Cranbrook Art Library is unique in that it is both a college library as well as an art library, thus, the policy should combine elements unique to both types of libraries. The document spans a length of four pages and is organized fairly similarly to other policies the author has viewed. While the document is by no means an overly detailed example of a policy, the areas it does cover are universal to collection development policies. The document itself is broken into ten categories which cover Cranbrook Academys mission, general library objectives, service population, selector, criteria for selection, formats collected, sources of purchased materials, gift policy, collection maintenance, and interlibrary loan. Mission and Goals An academic librarys mission is dependent on the mission of the university it serves. Cranbrook Academys mission is to provide direct experience with modern and contemporary art, architecture and design, and promotes an understanding of their relevance and contribution to society, ("Collection development policy," 2009); thus the art librarys collection will ideally reflect those aims. The specific objectives of the library follow the mission statement. Evans and Saponaro (2012, p. 73) assert linking the document to both the librarys and parent institutions mission statement and longterm and strategic planning documents provides the context in which CM activities take place. The library objectives serve both as mission statement and goals that guide the focus of the collection. Collection Scope: Roughly, the objectives are to provide materials for the programs specific to the

5 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy Academy, to support research and study in the specific areas of art history, criticism, and artists writing, along with small collections in related areas, to support students professional and career development, and to connect students to the larger information world by obtaining materials not available in the librarys collection through Interlibrary Loan requests. While these statements are adequate in describing the librarys function, useful information is included in this section that rightly deserves its own section. For example, several objectives discuss the types of collections in the library, yet that information would be better served in a section dedicated to the scope and special collections of the library. No mention is made as to the depth of the type of the collection or the types of resources included in the online collection. This is certainly a drawback in a collection development policy, where one of the key functions is outlining what items the library has available. Service Population: While brief, this section adequately outlines the patrons the library does and does not serve, which include students enrolled at the Academy, as well as faculty. Spoherer (2003) states that a collection development policy can also serve as a social contract between the library and its clientele, both local and extramural (p. 46). In this case, the social contract exists between these specific populations and, while open to the public, it does not attempt to serve the needs of the general public ("Collection development policy," 2009). This is a useful fact to include in a policy, as the unique focus of the academic art library will rightfully exclude the reading needs of the general public. Responsibility for selection: This is one area that is very well developed. While this section explicitly states

6 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy that the library director is the selector, this section outlines the important role that faculty play in collection development. Like most academic libraries, each department is given a set amount of funds and is encouraged to submit requests for materials that will be reviewed by the library director. If faculty is not active in selecting materials for their particular department, the director will rely on his or her experience to make purchases. Books that are not ordered can be borrowed through interlibrary loan channels. Selection for Criteria/Formats Collected The Cranbrook Art Library collects items generally found in libraries, but due to its unique nature as an art library, there are several types of items that are unique to Cranbrook, the collection of ephemera (pamphlets, clippings, etc) related to faculty and students art exhibitions, for example. Other unusual items that are collected by the library include exhibition catalogs, art house films, and experimental and video art. Inclusion of these and other materials into the collection is dependent on the criteria for selection, which include: content, level, quality, language, level, duplicate copies, and retrospective vs. current titles ("Collection development policy," 2009). The collection development policy states that it collects to the research level in materials. Evans and Sapanoro state that the CM policy provides, or may do so, information regarding subject breadth and depth. Although most libraries can and do benefit from such analysis, academic libraries often have the most complex tables of coverage and depth. (2012, p. 83). No conspectus model is mentioned in the CDP; the reader is left to assume that the Cranbrook Art Library uses the Library of Congress classification system because of its small nature.

7 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy While many libraries outline only the types of materials they collect, the Cranbrook Art Library also states that it does not collect photographs, microforms, and no longer collects videotapes, audiotapes, or slides. Including this detail is one area where the usefulness of a collection development policy becomes apparent; the director will find it useful to consult the CDP should potential donors wish to donate personal collections to the library in a format the library no longer collects. Special Features: Of the many collection development policies reviewed, a feature exclusive to this policy is the inclusion of vendors. The policy explicitly states that the director purchases materials from a variety of vendors, several that are also specific to art libraries. For example, WorldWide Books for exhibition catalogs, specialized dealers, used/out of print sources, and even major companies like Amazon and Barnes and Noble are used in addition to regular publishers. Unlike a public library that will often used a jobber for purchase orders, the unique types of materials an art library will be interested in collecting will require a wider net to be cast to fill the needs of the collection. Areas of Improvement: The biggest area of improvement that the CDP could benefit from is a reorganizing of sections. Many pieces of information that could have their own section are briefly touched on in other sections, which makes it difficult to find information and confusing as to the purpose of each section. For example, preservation of archival materials is briefly discussed in the Format of Materials category. This is also the only area where the Librarys Archives are mentioned; while there is mention of how archival materials are preserved (photocopies are made available to the public while original works are

8 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy stored in the archives), discussion of preservation methods should have its own section, especially because an art library will be more inclined to have sole copies of works. E-Resources: Surprisingly, the Cranbrook Art Library relies little on electronic databases because of poor image quality and unavailability of small art periodicals. The majority of the periodical collection is in print; though electronic databases certainly are not without issue, maintaining storage space for every subscription will certainly be a challenge for the library. On the positive side, however, the Cranbrook Library owns outright each journal, but as more and more periodicals migrate to online access only, the library may face a future challenge in providing access and may need to rethink its policy on purchasing print periodicals. In the case of most academic libraries, where online databases will be of critical import to the research needs of faculty and staff, the minimal discussion of online databases is definitely a drawback in the CDP. Of course the library must have some electronic subscriptions, but the names and types are not included. Conclusion: In summary, the Cranbrook Art Library occupies a special niche in the library world, possessing the functions of both a special and an academic library. Therefore, the challenges unique to building a collection that serves its users should be carefully considered and accounted for in the collection development policy. Relying on print periodicals, purchasing rare materials from a very wide array of sources, and building a collection specific to artists will be a distinct challenge to such a specialized library, and selectors will wish to refer back the the Collection Development Policy to guide in making appropriate decisions for the good of the library.

9 Evaluation and Analysis of Cranbrook Librarys Collection Development Policy References:

Burford, N., Kimball, R., Pickett, C., Ramirez, D., Stephens, J., & Thornton, J. (2011). Revisiting an abandoned practice: The death and resurrection of collection development policies. Collection Management, 36(3), 165-181. Collection development policy. (2009, September). Retrieved from http://www.cranbrookart.edu/library/collect/collection-development-2009.pdf Evans, G. Edward; Saponaro, Margaret Z. (2012-05-04). Collection Management Basics (Library and Information Science Text Series) (pp. 72-73). Greenwood Publishing. Kindle Edition. Spohrer, James H. 2003. The end of an American (library) dream: The rise and decline of the collection development policy statement at Berkeley. Acquisitions Librarian 15 (30): 3347.