Description: This 6-week online course introduces the fundamental aspects of collection assessment in libraries. The course is designed for those who are responsible for or interested in collection assessment in all types and sizes of libraries. The course will introduce key concepts in collection assessment including:
- The definition of collection assessment
- Techniques and tools
- Assessment of print and electronic collections
- Project design and management
Sessions tend to sell out weeks in advance but are offered several times each year. You only need to sign up for one session.
2024 Sessions
Click on a date range to register for that session.
- Session 1: February 5 - March 15 - CANCELLED
- Session 2: March 25 - May 3
- Session 3: May 20 - June 28
- Session 4: August 5 - September 13
- Session 5: October 7 - November 15
Format: Students receive login instructions one week prior to the course start date. Students have 24/7 access to the course site for the six-week period, and aside from assignment and quiz deadlines, the course may be completed at their own pace. Instructors provide guidance and feedback as students work their way through the course material. Weekly, instructor-moderated chat sessions are the only live course events that students are asked to attend.
Weekly Chat Schedule: The following times are tentative and may change according to instructor availability.
- Week 1: Thursday at 2:00 pm CT
- Week 2: Tuesday at 12:00 noon CT
- Week 3: Wednesday at 3:00 pm CT
- Week 4: Monday at 11:00 am CT
- Week 5: Wednesday at 3:00 pm CT
- Week 6: Thursday at 1:00 pm CT
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the fundamental aspects of collection assessment;
- Understand the various collection assessment methods and tools, including both qualitative and quantitative analysis;
- Design and implement a collection assessment project;
- Perform a collection assessment of print resources;
- Complete a collection assessment of electronic resources.
Who Should Attend
This is a fundamentals course that will appeal to anyone interested in the topic with no previous experience.
Instructors
- Posie Aagaard is the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Scholarly Resources at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
- Alison M. Armstrong is the Collection Management Librarian at Radford University, Virginia.
- Josephine Crawford is the Content Development Librarian at Kansas State University.
- Lacie Griffin is the Collection Development Manager at Johnson County Library.
- Teresa Negrucci is the Head of Library Collection Development and Acquisitions Librarian at Wesleyan University, in Middleton,Connecticut.
- Matthew N. Noe is Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian at Harvard Medical School.
- Erika Ripley is the Head of Resource Acquisitions & Management at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Linda Van Keuren is the Assistant Dean Resources and Access Mgt at Georgetown University Medical Center/Dahlgren Memorial Library in Washington, DC.
- Ze'ev Schneider is Project Manager, Collections Lifecycle at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.
Registration
Cost
- $196.71 Core members;
- $224.10 ALA members;
- $249 nonmembers.
How to Register
By Mail
Register by mail (purchase order or check) by completing this print registration form. Tip: If you’re unable to open this “register by mail” link, right-click the link and save the form to your computer.
Questions?
For registration related questions, call 1-800-545-2433 to speak to our customer service representatives.
Registration Deadline
Registration for each course is limited to 25 people. For courses that are not sold out, online and fax registration ends at 12 noon CDT on the Monday before the course begins. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by two Mondays prior to the course start date.
Core Code of Conduct
Please review the Statement of Conduct before registering.
Tech Requirements
A Moodle-developed site is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructors. There are predetermined start and end dates and a suggested pace which include interaction with the instructors and your classmates. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. Section quizzes are offered and feedback given, however, there is no final class grade.
The course website will be open for 1 week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. It will remain open 1 week after the end date for students to complete any sections and submit the course evaluation survey.
Credits
Contact Hours - 24 hours
Core defines contact hours in line with the IACET standards on Continuing Education Units.
Average number of hours spent per week on course: 4
Certificates of completion are sent upon successful completion (passing score of 70% or higher) of the course.
Contact
For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 or email registration@ala.org.
For all other questions or comments related to the webinars, please contact tferren@ala.org.