2015 Charleston Library Conference

In June 2015, the Kennesaw State University Library System launched a pilot implementation of a newly conceived Collection Assessment Plan. The plan follows a 5-year rotating schedule for systematically reviewing print holdings of the KSU Library System. It is broad in scope, spans multiple library departments, and integrates into operational workflows. Project contributors include Undergraduate Faculty Liaisons and Graduate Librarians as well as staff and student employees from Access Services, Technical Services, and Interlibrary Loan. In all, 36 employees distributed over four library locations will participate in this much-needed collection assessment and maintenance project.

This proposed model of collection assessment endorses the idea that assessment is best employed when fully integrated into collection workflows and procedures, and distributed among staff that make decisions about selection and withdrawal. Ultimately, the plan seeks to provide a structure for improved decision-making and strategic collection growth, while recognizing that no single metric is sufficient to serve all of these roles. Rather, it investigates multiple aspects of the collection, including use, patron perception, holdings analysis, areas of existing need, core title list comparisons, and peer benchmarks.