OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Cooperative Collection
Management Survey
ARL Membership Meeting
October 19, 2006
Chip Nilges
Vice President, New Services
OCLC
Chip_nilges@oclc.org
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Survey Objectives
 Understand current practice
 Collection management
 Remote storage
 Digitization
 Evaluate 3 service concepts
 Registry & reports
 Resource sharing
 Shared storage & digitization
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Methodology

Web-based survey with 500 OCLC governing member
Academic, ARL, and Public libraries

204 libraries completed survey (response rate=41%)

Report focuses on the Academic library and ARL respondents
results
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Collection Management
 Half of the Academic library
respondents
use
collection
analysis tools.
 Users tend to have more
than 1 million items in
collection (68%).
These users employ several
tools.
Does your library currently use
collection analysis tools to help
evaluate and manage your
collection? (N=88)
Have no
plans
24%
Plan to
use
26%
Currently
Use
50%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Cooperative Collection Development Groups
More than one-third of
Academic library respondents
belong to a cooperative
collection development group.
Does your library currently
belong to a cooperative
collection development group?
(N=88)
Currently
belong
38%
Have no
plans
48%
Here are a few of the groups:

CRL Cooperative Collection
Development Group

CARLI

CARL
Have
belonged
3%
Plan to
belong
11%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Remote Storage
One-third of Academic library
respondents move materials
into remote storage.
Most move materials into
storage due to:

Lack of space (91%)

Lack of circulation (81%)
Does your library currently move
materials into remote storage,
which is stored in a separate
location from your main
collection? (N=88)
Currently
use
remote
storage
36%
No plans
to use
40%
Have used
before
14%
Plan to
use
storage
10%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Storage Filling Up
More than half of Academic
library respondents have more
than two-thirds of their storage
full.
Approximately, what percentage
of your remote storage facility is
full? (N=31)
Stored items are used:


Most respondents (81%)
circulate stored items but
facility is not open to patrons.
Most respondents (84%)
make most stored items
available for ILL
1% 25%
(10%)
91% 100%
(23%)
81% 90%
(19%)
71% 80%
(16%)
26% 50%
(19%)
51% 60%
(13%)
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Where are your library’s storage facilities located? (N=32)
70%
Onsite
60%
Remotely in city
Remotely in state
Out-of-state
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
50%
0%
38%
16%
3%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Digitization
Half of Academic library
respondents digitize materials.
Does your library currently
digitize materials? (N=88)
Most respondents who digitize
process archival materials
(84%).
During 2005, digitization
activity increased for more
than half of respondents
(55%).
No plans
to digitize
15%
Have
before
10%
Plan to
digitize
26%
Currently
digitize
49%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
3 Service Concepts
Concept A – Registry & Reports
 Create a shared database of collections in storage
 Offer tools and reports for comparing stored
collections across institutions/groups
 Libraries could use this information to inform their
collection development decisions
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Investigate 3 Concepts
Concept B – Resource Sharing
In addition to all services associated with concept A, participating
libraries would also be able to . . .

indicate the following for the items that they register:
 preservation policies
 lending policies at item level

use this database to borrow items from other libraries
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Investigate 3 Concepts
Concept C – Shared storage, preservation, digitization
In addition to all services described in Concept B . . .

Participating libraries could agree to send their selected items to an off-site,
independent organization for storage, preservation & access.

The independent organization would identify candidate for central storage based
on ILL and circulation data.

The independent organization would provide delivery service for all stored items.

Where it has the rights to do so, the independent organization would digitize
heavily requested items.
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Investigate 3 Concepts

Concepts are in the early stages of development and no pricing
was available to test in the questionnaire.

Without pricing, respondents could not be asked to evaluate
their likelihood to subscribe to each concept.

Respondents were asked to rate how desirable the concept
would be to their library by using a scale that ranged from "0"
(Not At All Desirable) to "10" (Very Desirable).
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Concept Evaluations
Top Box
Concept A
Concept B
Concept C
% of Acad.
% of Acad.
% of Acad.
17%
8%
14%
9
8%
17%
13%
8
15%
19%
22%
7
14%
15%
10%
6
11%
8%
7%
5
15%
13%
11%
4
5%
6%
6%
3
7%
6%
6%
2
3%
5%
5%
1
0 “ N o t A t A ll D e s ira b le ”
2%
1%
2%
3%
3%
5%
40%
44%
49%
S c o re s
1 0 “ V e ry D e s ira b le ”
T o p B o x S c o re s
Note: Top box score analyzes the percent of respondents who indicate a score of 8 or higher.
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Preferred Concept
Without knowing price, half of
Academic library respondents
prefer Concept C.
In open-ended question,
respondents stated why prefer
concepts:

Digitizes items for
preservation

Provides document delivery

Provides remote storage
Which of the 3 cooperative
collection management services
would you prefer the most?
(N=84)
Concept
C
52%
Concept
A
22%
Concept
B
26%
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Conclusions
Half of Academic library respondents are involved in
collection management and digitization.
Two-fifths are using remote storage which is filling up.
Community seems ready for cooperative collection
management service.
Additional market research is recommended on 3 concepts
to determine feasibility of service.
OCLC next steps include supporting concepts A and B
National Storage Trust Network
Concept A: Ad Hoc Shared Information
Borrowing
System
ILL
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
ILL
Storage
Facility
Retrieval
Policies
Participating
Library
WIthdrawals
Holdings
Collection
analysis reports
Nonparticipating
Library
Registry
Collection
analysis reports
•Participating libraries provide data on stored
holdings and access policies
•Participating and nonparticipating libraries may
analyze collections compared to registry
•Libraries make independent local decisions about
acquisition, retention, digitization, storage
•Assume individual local risk
WIthdrawals
National Storage Trust Network
Concept B: Cooperative Management
Priority loans
Storage
Facility
Retrieval
Borrowing
System
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
ILL
Shared
Virtual
Commitments
Collection
Policies
Participating
Library
WIthdrawals
Holdings
Collection
analysis reports
Nonparticipating
Library
Registry
Collection
analysis reports
•In addition to providing data on holdings and
access policies, participating libraries make
preservation and access commitments to fellow
participants
•Libraries make local decisions in the context of
mutual collection management policies
WIthdrawals
National Storage Trust Network
Concept C: Federated Collection Management
Priority loans
Storage
Facility
Federation
Coordinator(s)
Retrieval
Participating
Library
WIthdrawals
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
Borrowing
System
ILL
Shared
Preservation
Collections
Commitments
and Policies
Holdings
Collection
analysis reports
Nonparticipating
Library
Registry
Collection
WIthdrawals
analysis reports
•Independent entities administer collection
analysis and preservation responsibilities to
achieve system-wide benefits
•Libraries cede some control to the network in
return for greater stability of the system