Comparative study of collection management practices of academic libraries

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/LM-12-2016-0096
Published date08 January 2018
Pages66-77
Date08 January 2018
AuthorChristopher Kwame Filson
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,HR in libraries,Library strategy,Library promotion
Comparative study of collection
management practices of
academic libraries
Christopher Kwame Filson
Library, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find out the similarities and differences in collection management
practices of the main libraries of the University of Cape Coast and the University of Education,
Winneba, Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative approach in considering the research
problem and also used the case study to collect data. Purposive sampling technique was used to select
the respondents.
Findings Some of the results highlighted are: both libraries had sections responsible for collection
management practices, the collection management practices carried out by both libraries were almost similar,
lack of adequate professional staff, lack of adequate funds and unavailability of Collection Management
Policy were some of the challenges.
Research limitations/implications The study focussed on the activities performed by the various
sections directly involved in the collection management practices and excludes administrative practices.
Practical implications In order to make any library functional, collection management should be a
shared responsibility of all the sections of the library and that enough money is required to link the staff and
the information resources in the library together.
Social implications All stakeholdersof libraries must play theirrole to make academic libraries functional.
Originality/value The study provides insight into the collection development activities undertaken by the
libraries of the only public academic institutions purposely build by the Government of Ghana to train
graduate teachers for Basic and Second-Cycle institutions in Ghana.
Keywords Resources, Libraries, Intellectual, Relevant, Selection, Staff
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The activity undertaken by all types of libraries to ensure that the right information
resources are made available for library users is considered as collection management.
Collection management entails activities which involve acquisition of library materials,
processing, organisation, conservation and preservation, storage, weeding, and promoting
the use of the library materials (Kumar, 2012). The main task involved in collection
management is to make the information sources gathered useful and physically accessible
to users of the library.
Though sometimes collection development and collection management are used
interchangeably, the dichotomy between these two terms is that, while the former deals with
the selection and acquisition of the library collection, the latter deals with the managing of
the use, storage and organisation of the collection (Arinawati, 2011).
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLANET, 2003)
stated that academic libraries are essential to the operations of universities and for that
matter play a greater role in the achievement of their academic missions. That is why IFLA
has a section for University Libraries. However these libraries cannot perform their role if
proper collection development and management practices are not conducted.
The main task involved in collection management is to make the information sources
gathered useful and physically accessible to users of the library. That is why needs
assessment should be done first so that resources kept in the library become relevant to the
information needs of the users (Little, 2011).
Library Management
Vol. 39 No. 1/2, 2018
pp. 66-77
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-12-2016-0096
Received 16 December 2016
Revised 21 March 2017
Accepted 3 April 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
66
LM
39,1/2

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