Remote reading: a shelf list analysis of an academic library’s juvenile collection
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/CC-10-2021-0027 |
| Published date | 17 January 2022 |
| Date | 17 January 2022 |
| Pages | 125-132 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Collection building & management |
| Author | Sarah B. Cohn |
Remote reading: a shelf list analysis of an
academic library’s juvenile collection
Sarah B. Cohn
Morris Raphael Cohen Library, The City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to detail an analysis project of a juvenile collection within an academic library. The analysis became a starting point for
the development of a coherent collection policy, and for charting a path toward a better maintained, more used, more diverse, inclusive and
representative collection.
Design/methodology/approach –The analysis was done by using a catalog-generated shelf list, which revealed specific details about the aged
state of the collection and brought to light the lack of attention the collection has been getting in recent years.
Findings –The analysis of a collection of children’s books in an academic library revealed a collection long out of date and unable to serve the
needs of our user population.
Research limitations/implications –This analysis is specific to academic institutions that have collections of children’s material.
Originality/value –The literature on juvenile collections in academic libraries is relatively sparse. This research details a social justice approach to
building and maintaining juvenile collections in academic libraries.
Keywords Academic libraries, Collection development policies, Children’s collections, Collection development, Collection analysis,
Juvenile collections
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Many academic libraries maintain collections of children’s
(juvenile) books, both fiction and non-fiction, usually in
support of an education department. It is rare that this
collection has a dedicated librarian (Shipman et al.,2013;
Williams, 2011).This means that juvenile collections can easily
fall by the wayside as other responsibilities or collections take
precedence.
The Cohen Library JuvenileCollection (CLJC) is considered
a subset of the discipline of education for both liaison and
collection development responsibilities. Due to librarian
turnover in the role of Education liaison, there was no
institutional history about the state of the collection. Despite
serving a specific (and large) audience of education students
and functioning as a de-facto special collection within the
library, the CLJC had received little attention for many years.
There was no collection development policy, and a walk-
through of the collection showed aging books covered with
dust. It was clear that the collection was little used, in part
because of its age and appearance.
A planned weeding project of theCLJC was put on hold due
to the COVID-19 shutdowns in Spring 2020, when our entire
campus moved to remote work. With a shelf list, only a
comprehensive review of the collection could be done while
working remotely and would be a necessary first step toward
building and maintaining an up-to-date, inclusive and relevant
collection. The goal was to get as much done as possible
remotely to prepare for the physical work of weeding upon an
eventual returnto campus.
This article details a collection analysis project of a juvenile
collection [1] within an academic library. The analysis served as a
starting point for the development of a coherent collection policy,
for charting a path toward a better maintained, more used and
more inclusive collection and,one that better reflects our education
students, and by extension, their students. The collection review
offered a chance to critically examine the collection itself, its place
within the library and in relation to the School of Education (SoE).
Striving for greater diversity,representation and inclusiveness in the
juvenile collection is part of the broader project within City College
Libraries of confronting the bias in all of our collections and
building collectionsthat reflect the college community.
Literature review
Collection best practices, assessment and user needs
The literature on juvenile collections in academic libraries is
relatively sparse, although growing. A small set of foundational
articles focus on collection development. They cover the
assessment, building and maintenance of juvenile collections
in academic libraries. Authors approach juvenile collections in
different ways. Shipman, et al. (2013) provide a broad
overview for those with little experience or who are just getting
started in developing and maintaining a juvenile collection that
is specifically for use by professional programs in education
and librarianship. They lay out a basic set of best practices and
The current issue and full text archiveof this journal is available on Emerald
Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2514-9326.htm
Collection and Curation
41/4 (2022) 125–132
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 2514-9326]
[DOI 10.1108/CC-10-2021-0027]
Received 15 October 2021
Revised 18 November 2021
Accepted 14 December 2021
125
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