Curating and managing library collections

SALC70072 Curating and managing library collections 15 Semester 2 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 Tabitha Tuckett Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 This course unit aims to develop an understanding of key concepts, challenges, practices and policies involved in curation and collection management with specific reference to library materials. Libraries are collecting and providing access to a wider range of material types and formats than ever before, from physical to born digital, from commercial publications to grey literature, from databases to serials. Library users are also demanding increased representation, diversity and accountability in service provision. Matching collections with users’ needs within available budgets and resources is challenging and requires expertise and sensitivity. Critically examining models of the collection-management lifecycle, we shall cover issues in selection, acquisition and accession; cataloguing and classification; circulation, retrieval and access; preservation, storage and movement; collections assessment and promotion; and de-accession and disposal. This unit builds on the core units of the Library And Archive Studies MA, including policy-writing assignments, but will also serve as an introduction to those from other programmes.  This course unit aims to develop an understanding of key concepts, challenges, practices and policies involved in curation and collection management with specific reference to library materials. Libraries are collecting and providing access to a wider range of material types and formats than ever before, from physical to born digital, from commercial publications to grey literature, from databases to serials. Library users are also demanding increased representation, diversity and accountability in service provision. Matching collections with users’ needs within available budgets and resources is challenging and requires expertise and sensitivity. Critically examining models of the collection-management lifecycle, we shall cover issues in selection, acquisition and accession; cataloguing and classification; circulation, retrieval and access; preservation, storage and movement; collections assessment and promotion; and de-accession and disposal. This unit builds on the core units of the Library And Archive Studies MA, including policy-writing assignments, but will also serve as an introduction to those from other programmes. The unit aims to:  <ul><li>Explore and critically engage with existing models for collection management and their relevance to the challenges faced by today’s libraries; · </li><li>Address the distinct management needs of different types of resources, both physical and digital; ·</li><li>Develop skills and confidence in recognising issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in the policy and practice of library service provision; </li><li>Equip students to understand the role of collection-management policies and the ways in which they can be implemented, and implantation evaluated, across a range of collection-management and curatorial activities; · </li><li>Consider the long-term significance of building, exploiting and preserving library collections.</li></ul> <ul><li>Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principles and stages of collection management for libraries; </li><li>Gain knowledge of the range of resource types and their management; </li><li>Appreciate the importance and complexities of equality, diversity and inclusion in collection management and access provision; </li><li>Demonstrate an understanding of how collections and library stakeholders relate to one another</li></ul> <ul><li>Explain and advocate for collection-management policy and practice; </li><li>Develop skills in evaluating collections and services against policies and implementation plans.</li></ul> <ul><li>Make thoughtful and informed decisions on collection acquisition, appraisal, retention and disposal; </li><li>Be able to select and recommend appropriate budget and resource allocation across the range of collection-management activities and requirements.</li></ul> <ul><li>Develop team-working and oral advocacy skills through participation in class discussions; </li><li>Develop written advocacy skills through written assignment; </li><li>Manage time through preparation of assignment; </li><li>Use ICT resources for programme support.</li></ul> Other Students will develop skills in developing and managing collections, which can be applied across collections of various types from managing digital to physical collections. They will also develop skills in oral and written communication through class participation and written course assignments. The course encourages critical and nuanced advocacy of decisions, policy and practice, and an awareness of issues of equality, diversity and inclusion, all of which will be beneficial for future employment. <ul><li>Introduction: identifying your service mission; the dating game: connecting people with collections; models for the collection-management lifecycle; collection-management software. </li><li>Selection 1: building a collection; historic collectors. </li><li>Selection 2: collection development policies; diversifying collections; collaboration and budgets. </li><li>Acquisition and accession 1: purchase, loans, gifts, bequests; documenting accessions. </li><li>Acquisition and accession 2: journals; commercial licensing; open access.  </li><li>Processing 1: cataloguing and description. </li><li>Processing 2: classification and knowledge organisation. </li><li>Circulation, retrieval and access: mechanics of circulation and access; users’ needs and considerations of information literacy; inclusive service provision. </li><li>Collection care: storage, movement, preservation, risk, disaster-planning, conservation, sustainability.</li><li>Assessment and appraisal: the curator’s role; designating collections; liberating the collections. </li><li>Promotion and marketing: collection priorities; audience priorities; planning promotion and digitisation; managing sensitive collections; assessing success. </li><li>De-accession: collaborative assessment, transfer and exchange; sensitive disposal.</li></ul> Full-group seminars and small-group activities and discussion. Some activities will include object-based learning with hands-on experience of special and circulating collections. 2 Written assignment (inc essay) 100% <figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td style="border:1.0pt solid windowtext;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:241.0pt;" width="321">Feedback method<o:p></o:p></td><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:solid;border-width:1.0pt;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:9.0cm;" width="340">Formative or Summative<o:p></o:p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:solid;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:none;border-width:1.0pt;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:241.0pt;" width="321">Students will receive formative feedback on an assignment outline submitted in advance of the principal assignment, and on practice scenarios considered during class.<o:p></o:p></td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:9.0cm;" width="340">Formative<o:p></o:p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-bottom-style:solid;border-color:windowtext;border-left-style:solid;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:none;border-width:1.0pt;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:241.0pt;" width="321"> Written feedback on submitted assessed work shall be delivered within the time-frame recommended by SALC.<o:p></o:p></td><td style="border-bottom:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-left-style:none;border-right:1.0pt solid windowtext;border-top-style:none;mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-left-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt;vertical-align:top;width:9.0cm;" width="340">Summative<o:p></o:p></td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table></figure> N <ul><li>Vicki L. Gregory, <a href=", Collection development and management for 21st century library collection">Collection development and management for 21st century library collections.</a> 2nd edition. (2019) </li><li>Peggy Johnson, Fundamentals of collection development and management. 4th edition. (2018) [earlier edition in UoM library] </li><li>Nicole A. Cooke, Information services to diverse populations: developing culturally competent library professionals. (2017) </li><li>Dartmouth College Library, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SroscdR7-Y">Change the subject</a>. [video] (2021) </li><li>Jason Schmitt (director), <a href="https://paywallthemovie.com/">Paywall: the business of scholarship.</a> [video] (2018) </li><li>Research Libraries UK, <a href="https://www.rluk.ac.uk/the-library-transforming-strategy/">The library transforming: RLUK’s strategy for 2022-25</a>. (2022)</li><li>Research Libraries UK, I<a href="https://www.rluk.ac.uk/icil-on-demand/">nclusive collections, inclusive libraries</a>. [ongoing series of lecture recordings] (2023)</li></ul> Seminars 24 0 126