Much like a garden, a journal collection is a living and breathing entity subject to the ebb and flow of nature. Therefore, maintaining a well-tended collection requires attention to detail. There are the usual changes tracked by Collection Management when titles cease, merge with other publications, or go e-only. But, beyond these changes imposed by publishers, the needs and preferences of our library users require attentive monitoring. Certain titles, once thought full of promise, die on the vine, and judicious pruning of our collection is necessary. In their wake is a vast collection of titles, available in every conceivable format and combination, vying for consideration.
With a finite budget, decisions need to be made on the best use of funds, so a systematic process for considering additions and deletions is necessary. At renewal time each fall, Collection Management reviews a detailed set of variables to make informed decisions about the journal collection.
Each time a print journal issue is used by a patron, a library staff member electronically scans the journal before reshelving it. This records title-specific data that demonstrates what titles get used, and how often. Data for the latest three years is reviewed to spot trends in usage. We are also able to review usage statistics for several of the electronic journals we subscribe to, including those available through IDEAL, ScienceDirect, and OVID. Reviewing this data allows us to, at times, swap under-used electronic titles for those titles requested by our users, frequently at no extra cost to the library.
Armed with this usage information, we then compare it with pricing data that helps us effectively tailor our holdings. Generally speaking, if a title has less that 12 uses in the latest fiscal year, and an average of 20 or less uses over the last three years, it will be considered for cancellation. But the outright canceling of a title is not done lightly. The ultimate factor that determines a journal's fate is cost per use. This is calculated by the subscription cost divided by how many times a title is used over the course of a year. So if, for instance, a title is seldom used, and the cost per use is low, it may remain in the collection. If, however, there is low use and a high cost per use (at $40 or higher) it is a prime target for cancellation.
After cancellations are made, we next consider new journals to add to the collection. Interlibrary loan requests made by our users are reviewed to determine any titles that receive multiple requests. As with circulation statistics, three years worth of data is examined. Journals receiving five or more requests in the latest calendar year are compared with the number of unique requestors for that title. In general, the higher the number of unique requestors there are for a title, the stronger the case for picking up a new subscription. For instance, a title receiving 16 requests by eight people would receive more consideration than a title receiving 16 requests by two people. Analysis of interlibrary loan data has resulted in several new subscriptions, including the recent additions of Cell Death and Differentiation and Alternative Medicine Review.
Finally, waiting in the wings are the several requests for new print and electronic titles we receive over the course of a year directly from faculty, staff and students. These come our way by a variety of methods, from informal phone calls, to letters on departmental letterhead, to requests made on the Purchase Recommendation Form on JEFFLINE. We encourage user feedback and strive to adopt user requests whenever possible. Direct user requests have resulted in our adding several of the popular e-journal titles like Journal of Cell Biology, British Journal of Cancer and Molecular Cell, among others.
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