[Original posting is follows and the response follows it.]
From: SUSAN BEIDLER <BEIDLER_at_lycoming.edu>
I work in a small academic library serving about 1500 undergraduates
and 100 faculty. As I have been trying to do more active assessment
of our collection, I have been comparing our circulation figures for
specific call number ranges/disciplines with both the number of new
volumes purchased in those areas and the total number of volumes for
that area.
What I'm wondering is if there is a generally accepted number or
percentage of the collection's circulation that says it is adequate to
meet primary clientele needs?
An example might make my question more clear. Let's say that we have
2623 books in the circulating psychology call number ranges.
Circulation last year for that call number range was 243, or 9.26% of
the collection. How do I know if that percentage of use is good or bad?
Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.
Sue Beidler
Snowden Library
Lycoming College
700 College Place
Williamsport PA 17701
phone: 570-321-4084
fax: 570 321-4090
email: <mailto:beidler_at_lycoming.edu>beidler_at_lycoming.edu
==#5==
From: Margo Warner Curl <MCURL_at_wooster.edu>
Susan -
I don't think anything has been published recently giving value
judgements on circulation rates - some stuff on using circ rates for
collection development decisions, though. Most recent is "Use of
circulation statistics and interlibrary loan data in collecton
management' by Jennifer E. Knievel, Heather Wicht and Lynn Silipingni
Connawa. College & Research Libraries. 67(1), January 2006, p. 35-49.
In a study I did for the four CONSORT colleges (Denison, Kenyon, Ohio
Wesleyan, Wooster) in Ohio in 2001 --- we had an average per library
circulation rate of 34-49%, with individual areas ranging from 0% to 75%.
Margo
Margo Warner Curl
Technical Services Librarian
The College of Wooster Libraries
1140 Beall Avenue
Wooster OH 44691
phone: 330-263-2154
fax: 330-263-2253
email: mcurl_at_wooster.edu
Received on Fri Mar 10 2006 - 02:22:48 EST