Sociology and Social Work
Collection Assessment
Submitted by Doug Taylor
January, 2013
INTRODUCTION
Following guidelines established by the OCLC/WLN Collection Assessment
Service, which provide a framework for evaluating a library's current holdings and
the level of activity of the collection development, the Sociology and Social Work
collection is rated an overall 3cP (Advance Study or Instructional Support Level;
predominantly in the Primary Language). This level supports all courses of
undergraduate study and master's degree programs as well as the more
advanced independent study needs. Refer to the Sociology and Social Work
conspectus sheets and checklist analysis for a more detailed examination of the
library's holdings.
HOLDINGS
The Sociology and Social Work collection contains 31,869 titles in the Library of
Congress classification scheme H–H99, HM-HV5840 including 1,133 titles from
the e-books collection. Further, patrons have unmediated access to millions of
volumes through universal borrowing agreements with other libraries.
Expenditures for monographs in the areas of Sociology and Social Work during
this period totaled $138,681.03 with 2,304 new titles added. These additions
comprise 7.2% of the current Sociology and Social Work collection.
Library Holdings
Classification
H-H61
HM
HN
HQ
HS
HT
HV
Category
Social Science
Sociology
Social History and
Conditions
Family. Marriage.
Women
Societies
Communities.
Classes. Races
Social Pathology.
Social and Public
Welfare
TOTAL
Library Holdings
4,026
4,307
3,355
9,780
217
3,421
6,763
31,869
1
Rev. 2012
The table below, Library Holdings Classified as E-books in Sociology and Social
Work, shows our commitment to our Distant Education students along with our
support of new technology. These books are processed and can be found just
like our regular books in our Library Catalog.
Library Holdings Classified as E-books in Sociology and Social Work
Classification
H1-H99
HM
HN
HQ
HS
HT
HV1-HV5840
Category
Social Science
Sociology
Social History and Conditions
Family. Marriage. Women
Societies
Communities. Classes. Races
Social Pathology. Social and
Public Welfare
Library Holdings
39
151
111
536
1
85
TOTAL
210
1,133
Monograph Expenditures for Sociology and Social Work
Fiscal Year
Amount
2006-2007
$20,158.51
2007-2008
$16,900.83
2008-2009
$19,728.46
2009-2010
$19,076.74
2010-2011
$23,095.83
2011-2012
$39,720.661
Total
$138,681.03
SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPORT
The Sociology and Social Work subject areas also extend beyond the boundaries
of the disciplines into a wide range of subject areas such as: Biology, Criminal
Justice, Education, Ethics, History, Law, Nursing, Philosophy, Political Science,
Psychology, Public Administration, and Religion.
1
Increase in budget to support EM doctoral program
2
Rev. 2012
Number of titles held for various subdivisions outside the Sociology and
Social Work Classifications:
Classification
B
BF
BJ
BL-BX
D-F
HV6001-HV9960
J
K
L
QH301-QH7-05.5
RT
Total
Category
Philosophy
Psychology
Ethics
Religion
History
Criminal Justice
Political Science and Public
Administration
Law
Education
Biology
Nursing
Total
5,206
9,446
1,297
14,253
102,243
14,676
21,751
13,189
36,951
4,044
1,802
224,858
Peer Institution Comparison
Below is a table comparing library collections of Universities who offer
baccalaureate degrees in the subject area of Social Work. As can be seen from
the table and the following bar chart, the Houston Cole Library (AJB) collection
compares favorably with our Peer Institutions.
Social Work Collection: Peer Institutions Comparison Table
OCLC Code*
Library Name**
Social Work Collection***
AJB
Jacksonville State
8,103
University
ASU
Arkansas State
7,245
University
BDR
Bridgewater State
4,859
University
YBM
Buffalo State College
6,868
EZF
Ferris State University
3,016
ISU
Indiana State University
8,910
* Code: from http://www.oclc.org/contacts/libraries/
** Library Name: from NCES (National Center for Education Statistics: Compare
Academic Libraries http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/compare/
*** Social Work Collection: From WorldCat with Keyword search. Phrase search
of “social work” was used.
3
Rev. 2012
Social Work Collection: Peer Institutions
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
Social Work Collection: Peer
Institutions
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
AJB
ASU
BDR
YBM
EZF
ISU
Checklist Summaries
The following bibliographies were checked against the Library's holdings,
revealing the corresponding percentages.
Title
American Reference
Books Annual 20072012
Choice Outstanding
Academic Titles 20072012
Yankee Core List
Titles 2007-20112
Held
48
Listed
169
Percent Held
28%
103
107
96%
90
228
40%
ALA Guide to Sociology and Psychology
Section
General Works
Theory, Methods, and
Statistics
Social Conditions and
Social Welfare:
General Works
Aging and the Elderly
Alcoholism and Drug
Abuse
2
Held
30
9
Listed
57
24
Percent Held
53%
38%
0
1
0%
14
16
31
35
45%
46%
Web address: http://www.ybp.com/acad/core.htm
4
Rev. 2012
Childhood and
Adolescence
Crime and Deviance
Cyberspace and the
Internet
Death and Dying
Disabilities and the
Disabled
Homelessness and
Hunger
Immigration and
Immigrants
Marriage and the
Family
Population Planning
Poverty and the Poor
Politics, Economics,
and Organizations
Social Psychology
Social Work
Urban and Regional
Studies
Violence
Race and Ethnicity:
General Works
African Americans
Arab Americans
Asian Americans
Hispanic Americans
Native Americans
Total
12
21
57%
10
5
26
9
39%
56%
15
16
25
36
60%
44%
6
15
40%
6
19
32%
8
32
25%
7
2
8
10
7
18
70%
29%
44%
11
15
0
21
21
13
52%
71%
0%
15
8
28
19
54%
42%
38
1
1
5
6
264
101
11
12
24
19
635
38%
9%
8%
21%
32%
42%
Withdrawals
Since the 2006 assessment of the collection, many duplicated and dated titles
were withdrawn due to space issues and the need for currency within the subject
area. The table below shows withdrawals from the Sociology and Social Work
classifications.
Fiscal Year
Sociology and Social Work Titles
Withdrawn
60
86
714
246
46
104
1,256
2006 – 2007
2007 – 2008
2008 – 2009
2009 – 2010
2010 – 2011
2011 – 2012
Total
5
Rev. 2012
PERIODICALS ASSESSMENT
Using the Serials Solutions database, the Sociology and Social Work collection
contains 11 print periodical titles and an estimated 1,3783 full-text electronic
journals in the following Subject Classifications: Child and Youth Development;
Communities; Criminology, Penology & Juvenile Delinquency; Family and
Marriage; Family Violence; Gerontology; Social Change; Social Conditions;
Social Welfare & Social Work; and Substance Abuse. See the Serials Solutions4
database for the complete list.
The Library also subscribes to two premier Sociology and Social Work
databases: Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts. These
services index/abstract over 10,121 subject specific journals. Access to full-text
journals are provided through links to the Library’s electronic resources and the
catalog.
Title
Sociological Abstracts
Social Services
Abstracts
Linked to Full-Text
Journals
1,318
1,262
Listed Journals
Percent Linked
5,308
4,813
25%
26%
The bibliography, Magazines for Libraries, was used to measure the quality of
the Library’s serial collection. By checking the bibliography against the Library’s
catalog, the following percentage was revealed within the area of Sociology and
Social Work.
Magazines for Libraries, 20th edition
Held
89
3
4
Listed
110
Percentage
81%
Some Journal Titles are found in more than one Subject Classification.
http://we8af9qh2e.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=we8af9qh2e&S=SC&C=SO
6
Rev. 2012
Serial Expenditures for Sociology and Social Work
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
Total
$26,223.66
$18,308.64
$29,479.34
$26,549.00
$24,671.67
$8,137.675
$133,369.98
NONPRINT MEDIA ASSESSMENT
The Audio-Video collection includes 153 items such as videos, filmstrips, kits,
software and audiotapes. This is an increase of 112 titles since the 2006
assessment. Recently added were the databases: Counseling and Therapy in
Video; Films on Demand; and VAST Academic Videos Online. These databases
provide electronic access to numerous videos on many topics for our on-campus
and distance education faculty and students.
DEFINED ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Defined Access means more than simply providing patrons with access to the
Internet through one or more Internet browsers. It refers to menu options on the
library or institution's homepage, etc., which link the user to owned or remotely
accessible electronic resources selected by the library with the needs of its
patrons in mind. Because the Library provides access to electronic journals,
documents, e-books, and video databases along with integrated, quality web
sites that encompass the area of Sociology and Social Work, the Library's
electronic collection in this subject area is rated a 3 (Study or Instructional
Support level).
A complete list of all of the Library’s databases can be found in our LibGuide A to
Z List Guide.6 A LibGuide listing many of our resources specifically for Sociology
and Social Work7 has been created along with many other subject specific
guides8.
Below is a brief description of just a few of our Sociology and Social Work
databases. A complete listing of these databases can be found on the Sociology
and Social Work LibGuide7.
5
Renewals not yet posted
6
7
http://libguides.jsu.edu/eresources
http://libguides.jsu.edu/sociology
8
http://libguides.jsu.edu/index.php
7
Rev. 2012
Academic Search Premier
“Academic Search Premier provides full text for nearly 4,650
serials, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles.
PDF back files to 1975 or further are available for well over one
hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for
more than 1,000 titles. This database is updated on a daily basis
via EBSCOhost.”
CQ Electronic Library (Includes CQ Researcher and CQ Weekly)
“Created and hosted by CQ Press, the CQ Electronic Library
(CQEL) is the definitive reference resource for research in
American government, politics, history, public policy, and current
affairs. A wealth of CQ Press resources and years of journalistic
and editorial expertise are combined in CQEL. It also offers
researchers—whether students, scholars, professionals, or
interested citizens—a range of tools for discovering, understanding,
and making use of its authoritative content.”
Expanded Academic ASAP
“From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and
technology, this database meets research needs across all
academic disciplines. An individual can access scholarly journals,
news magazines, and newspapers.”
HUD.gov
Their mission statement: “To be the preeminent housing and urban
research organization, one which conducts policy analysis and
creates and synthesizes data and evidence through open,
challenging, creative, collaborative, diverse, and respectful
exchanges of ideas to move policy and improve American
communities and lives.”
MasterFILE Premier
“A multidisciplinary database provides full text for nearly 1,950
general reference publications with full text information dating as far
back as 1975. Covering virtually every subject area of general
interest, MasterFILE Premier also includes nearly 500 full text
reference books, 84,011 biographies, 83,472 primary source
documents, and an Image Collection of 192,999 photos, maps and
flags. This database is updated daily via EBSCOhost.”
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
“Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center is a one-stop source for
information on today's hottest social issues. Drawing on acclaimed
series published by Greenhaven Press and other Thomson Gale
8
Rev. 2012
imprints, OVRC features viewpoint articles, topic overviews, full-text
magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles, primary
source documents, statistics, images and podcasts, and links to
Websites. New to the database are Lexile reading levels for
periodicals and an integrated national and state curriculum
standards search with content correlated to the standards.”
Social Services Abstracts
“Social Services Abstracts provides bibliographic coverage of
current research focused on social work, human services, and
related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community
development. The database abstracts and indexes over 1,300+
serials publications and includes abstracts of journal articles and
dissertations, and citations to book reviews.”
Social Work Abstracts (Print only)
“Published quarterly by NASW, is the primary source of articles on
social work and social welfare, as well as on related fields. About
450 journals are reviewed each year, and around 450 abstracts are
included in each issue…and arranged in subject categories.” Many
of these journals are available in full-text. Check Serials Solutions9
for our journal holdings.
Sociological Abstracts
“This databases abstracts and indexes the international literature in
sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral
sciences. The database provides abstracts of journal articles and
citations to book reviews drawn from over 1,800+ serials
publications, and also provides abstracts of books, book chapters,
dissertations, and conference papers.”
E-book Databases: A complete listing can be found on the Sociology and Social
Work Libguide7.
ACLS Humanities E-Book
“ACLS Humanities E-Book (HEB) is an online collection of over
3,300 books of high quality in the humanities. These titles are
offered by the ACLS in collaboration with twenty learned societies,
over 100 contributing publishers, and librarians at the University of
Michigan’s Scholarly Publishing Office.”
9
http://we8af9qh2e.search.serialssolutions.com/?L=WE8AF9QH2E&SS_ErrorCode=111&s=AC_T_B
9
Rev. 2012
Oxford Reference
“Oxford Reference is the home of Oxford’s quality reference
publishing, bringing together over 2 million entries, many of which
are illustrated, into a single cross-searchable resource. Newly
relaunched with a brand new look and feel, and specifically
designed to meet the needs and expectations of reference users,
Oxford Reference provides quality, up-to-date reference content at
the click of a button. Made up of two main collections, both fully
integrated and cross-searchable, Oxford Reference couples
Oxford’s trusted A-Z reference material with an intuitive design to
deliver a discoverable, up-to-date, and expanding reference
resource.”
Video Databases: A complete listing can be found on the Sociology and Social
Work Libguide7.
Alexander Street Counseling
“Alexander Street Counseling provides the largest and richest
online collection of video available for the study of counseling,
social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric
counseling. The wealth of video and multiplicity of perspectives in
these collections allow students and scholars to see, experience,
and study counseling in ways never before possible.”
VAST Academic Video Online
“Academic Video Online (the) Alexander Street Press database
aims to provide the most comprehensive streaming video resource
on the web. (This database) allows users to cross-search all of the
video published by Alexander Street Press.” Access to 10,000+
videos on many different subjects is available from this site.
SUMMARY
Strengths:
Total holdings, OCLC/WLN conspectus evaluation and checklist comparisons
indicate that within the scope of the Houston Cole Library Collection
Management and Development Policy the overall Sociology and Social Work
collection is more than adequate to support the curriculum and is rated at a 3cP
level (Advance Study or Instructional Support Level; predominantly in the Primary
Language). Of particular note in the collection are the holdings in the subject
areas of: Family, Marriage, Women, Sexual Life; Feminism; Races; and Social
Work, Social and Public Policies. These areas show a 7.2% average growth rate
since the 2006 assessment. Checks against the following bibliographies also
10
Rev. 2012
show a strong growth in the quality of the Sociology and Social Work monograph
collection:
ALA Guide to Sociology and Psychology – 42%
American Reference Book Annual 2007-2012, 28%
Choice Outstanding Academic Titles 2007-2012 – 96%
Yankee Core List Titles 2007-2011 – 40%
A holdings rate of 81% of the journals listed in the bibliography Magazines for
Libraries reflects a strong journals collection in this subject area. Since the last
assessment the following databases have been added:
Global Issues in Context
JSTOR
ProQuest Central
World News Digest
Weaknesses:
Total holdings, WLN conspectus evaluations, and checklist comparisons indicate
that the weakest areas of the Sociology and Social Work subject areas are:
Theory, Methodology of the Social Sciences; Communities, Class and Race;
Rural Sociology; and Alcoholism.
Recommendations:
The monographic collection continues to be strong and the serials holdings have
grown in strength sufficiently to support the Sociology and Social Work programs
at the Intermediate Study level. Additional monographs in the area of Theory,
Methodology of the Social Sciences; Communities, Class and Race; Rural
Sociology; and Alcoholism should be acquired.
11
Rev. 2012