Collection assessment for a Middle Eastern, English curriculum university library
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/CC-07-2017-0030 |
| Pages | 128-133 |
| Date | 02 July 2018 |
| Published date | 02 July 2018 |
| Author | Lilly Hoi Sze Ho |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Collection building & management |
Collection assessment for a Middle Eastern,
English curriculum university library
Lilly Hoi Sze Ho
Library and Learning Commons, Zayed University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Purpose – Library collections at Middle Eastern universities have usually prioritized teaching over research resources. Zayed University is
transitioning toward research, but research-centric collection assessments are rarely applied in the region. The purpose of this paper is to present on
the successes and limitations of using citation analysis to assess the relevance of the Zayed University Library collection to its shifted focus.
Design/methodology/approach – Recent Scopus-listed publications were sorted by the colleges of the Zayed University affiliated author, and
citations listed in the publications were ranked as present or absent in the library collection.
Findings – The resultant table provides an unambiguous evaluation of the extent to which the library collection has met the needs of recently
successful published academics across disciplines. Pitfalls include the limitations of the Scopus database in representing all disciplines.
Originality/value – Outcomes of the assessment enable the Library to develop collection strategies for continuous improvement and effectively
support the campus researchers.
Keywords Citation analysis, United Arab Emirates, Scopus, Collection development, Citation database, Collection assessment methodology
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
Library collections in Middle Eastern universities have usually
prioritized teaching over research. Zayed University is
transitioning toward research, but research-centric collection
assessments are rarely applied in the region. The assessment
described here is intended to assess the relevance of the Zayed
University library collection to its shifted focus. In recent years,
the Library has allocated more than 40 per cent of its
operational budget to maintain existing and acquire new
Library resources in all formats to support student learning,
faculty teaching and research across campuses in Dubai and
Abu Dhabi. Of this, 80 per cent is spent on the electronic
resources. Hence, electronic collections were given priority
within the assessment process.
Assessment topologies have previously been described as
being either collection- or user-based (Johnson et al., 2005).
Collection-based techniques, including citation analysis, are
used to examine the size, growth, range and balance of library
materials. Librarians use this information to determine
preservation and conservation treatments, trimming of the
physical collection, assessment of electronic subscriptions,
identication of duplication and storage. User-based techniques
include quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing
user satisfaction and degree of utilization.
Citation analysis is a long-established and well-studied
method for assessing the relevance of a collection (Broadus,
1997). In this study, citation analysis was used to evaluate the
extent to which the collection was being utilized by university-
employed researchers among colleges and to make collection
assessment and development decisions. This is the rst step of a
larger assessment process. The bibliographies of articles listed
in Elsevier’s Scopus Database (Ballew, 2009) with at least one
author afliated with Zayed University were assessed for the
proportion that could be accessed from the university
collection. This provides an unambiguous evaluation of the
extent to which the library collection has met the needs of
academics who have recently published.
This citation analysis addresses several questions related to
effective support and improvement of the library collection
(Hoffmann and Doucette, 2012):
�How effectively does the electronic journals collection
satisfy user needs? What are the collection strengths and
weaknesses, and are there gaps? Of particular interest to
the University is the extent to which the College of Arabic
Language and Islamic World Studies is supported.
�What is the age distribution of cited journal articles? This
informs the purchase of online archives with long-term
hosting fees.
�What is the subject distribution of the cited journals? This
helps determine if it is necessary to subscribe to journals
outside specic subjects.
�Who are the major publishers? This could be useful in
selecting journal package deals.
�What are the successes and limitations of using citation
analysis in representing all disciplines during collection
assessment? The Library can use this information to
redesign the collection assessment.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9326.htm
Collection and Curation
37/3 (2018) 128–133
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 2514-9326]
[DOI 10.1108/CC-07-2017-0030]
Received 21 July 2017
Revised 21 July 2017
Accepted 6 November 2017
128
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