Assessment Strategies in Technical Services

Assessment Strategies in Technical Services

Are you spending money wisely? If you’re a technical services manager at an academic library, an administrator, or a dean, you’re tasked with proving it. Incorporate assessment and analysis work into your library’s existing workflow with the guidance of “Assessment Strategies in Technical Services,” published by ALA Editions, a new collection from the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) edited by Kimberley A. Edwards and Michelle Leonard. Contributors from several academic libraries draw from real-world practices to suggest new approaches for acquisition and collections, cataloging and metadata, digital preservation, and e-resources and serials. You’ll find advice on such topics as:

  • assessing e-resource budgets, workflows, vendors, and collaborative initiatives;
  • how to use multiple data sets to assess collections across subjects, formats, or other factors;
  • working with data using common applications like Excel, Access, or MySQL;
  • four types of preservation assessment and how to structure them for actionable results;
  • ways to save on serial expenses while avoiding cancellations;
  • seven key considerations for building a data warehouse; and
  • benchmarking techniques for improving metadata processes

Exploring your options for assessment will lead you to the right balance of traditional and new metrics, and this book provides a valuable overview.

272 pages
6" x 9"
Softcover
ISBN: 978-0-8389-1857-9 
item no.: 978-0-8389-1857-9
softcover $69.99, ALA members: $62.99
Year Published: 2019 

Available in the online store

ALCTS titles are available though the ALA Editions Approval Plan, Category: TS