Rightsizing the Academic Library Collection

摘要

There was a time not too long ago when the quality and reputation of academic libraries were measured by the number of volumes, serial titles held, size of staff, materials expenditures, gate counts, and reference transactions. The changing landscape of higher education, which transformed how libraries operate together with increasing demands and expectations of students, has made collection size lose its importance. Reality tells us that these traditional metrics have failed to capture and convey an academic library's true value. Size and quantity of the library collection don't matter as much as impact on student learning outcomes, retention, and graduation rates. It is surely not enough for libraries to undertake regular weeding to address these student impact measures. Libraries need to make the collection right.