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A Retrospective Look at a DDA-Centered Collection Strategy: Planning for the Future of Monograph Acquisitions
(Elsevier, 2024) Lowry, Lindsey; Arthur, Michael A.; Gilstrap, Donald L.
The demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) model has been established as a standard component of collection development strategies for academic libraries. The University of Alabama’s collection development strategy revolves around the large DDA program for acquiring electronic monographs and is supplemented by other methods of monographic acquisitions such as firm ordering, bulk eBook purchases, and more. While previous studies have confirmed the advantages of The University of Alabama's DDA plan early in its implementation, this study explores the long-term effectiveness of the DDA-centered collection strategy, seven years after it was first put into place, and examines the validity of the strategy as one bringing efficiency and high return on investment. Finally, this longitudinal study hopes to substantiate the DDA-centered collection strategy as one that could be a foundational model for other academic libraries to follow.
Being Earnest With Collections-Building a Successful Marketing Program at the University of Alabama
(Against the Grain, 2017-06) Arthur, Michael A.
This article highlights a new marketing program at The University of Alabama focused on promoting key databases and other electronic resources including eBook and streaming video collections. The program began over a year ago and has seen a few revisions along the way. This article will explore some of the key aspects of planning and implementation from the past 18 months. The key to any project of this magnitude is establishing goals for the program and ensuring that staff have the right tools and training. The marketing program has changed in response to library strategic goals and because the skill level of those involved has improved. In the past three months, the overall quality of program has improved greatly following the hiring of two students who had knowledge of how to use the software, and interest in developing high quality professional images. Now with development and refinement of the marketing program complete it is time to look back on the entire process, highlight some best practices, and alert others to the potential pitfalls to consider when beginning a similar initiative.
Being Earnest With Collections-Known Unknown: A Humanities Collection Gap-Analysis Project
(Charleston Hub, 2017) Arthur, Michael A.; Daugherty, Alice L.
University of Alabama faculty member, Alice Daugherty, provides insight into a project she participated in while working at Louisiana State University.
Being Earnest With Collections-The Importance of Reviewing Technical Services Operations to Promote Efficient Access and Enhanced Discoverability of Resources
(Against the Grain, 2016-04) Arthur, Michael A.
I was recently reflecting back on the first six months of my new role at The University of Alabama. I was charged during the first year to undertake a complete review of work processes within the newly formed Resource Acquisition & Discovery Department. The previously separate functional areas of acquisitions, cataloging, and electronic resources were brought together just prior to my start in August of 2015. The analysis began within the first couple of months as I began to meet with everyone in the department. We discussed the usual things including what was going well and what could be improved. I learned about the transition period after the loss of department and unit heads over the previous year or two, and understood how the staff now had to face the uncertainty of a new manager. It became apparent that bringing the units together in proximity did not necessarily mean that there would be a logical move toward integration of workflow. Being Earnest with Collections focuses this month on raising awareness of the importance of workflow analysis. Hopefully I will provide some best practices for others who plan to take a good hard look at just where technical services is going. There is a new emphasis on moving away from traditional models of collection building and toward a focus on collection strategy, in line with providing content when and where it is needed rather than building collections across all disciplines. There is an opportunity to be more efficient while we transition spending and staffing from a traditional print based operation to one that will be able to address selection, procurement and access in the electronic environment.
Bringing Preservation to the Forefront: Preservation Initiatives at the University of Central Florida Libraries
(Florida Library Association, 2009) Arthur, Michael A.; Dotson, Lee
Cooperation is Key: How Publishers and Libraries are Working Together to Achieve Common Goals
(Against the Grain, 2016-01) Arthur, Michael A.; Sieck, Stacy
Building the library/publisher relationship is by no means a new issue. It’s an issue we see covered in conferences and industry news articles, and it’s often a point of discussion (and sometimes contention) on listservs and industry blogs.
Creating Core Title Lists for Print Subscription Retention and Storage/Weeding
(Taylor & Francis, 2010-04-09) Rais, Shirley; Arthur, Michael A.; Hanson, Michael J.
Loma Linda University (LLU) is a small, health sciences-oriented university with a growing electronic resource collection with 5,674 e-books, over 70 databases, and more than 12,000 e-journals. In 2007, they decided to use print usage statistics compiled over several years with a goal of making sound decisions about retaining or cancelling print subscriptions and determining which subscriptions to flip from print to online only. The core title lists the developed were used to help guide the library in making decisions about weeding, maintaining print access, migrating to online, and placing bound volumes into remote storage. This presentation outlined the process used at LLU to identify core titles and explains some of the rationale behind their decisions. Some of the advantages and disadvantages in undertaking such a project are identified and a review from the practical side of the project may give some insight to other libraries considering such an endeavor.
Developing a Collections Marketing Program at The University of Alabama
Arthur, Michael A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Developing a Crystal Clear Future for the Serials Unit in an Electronic Environment: Results of a Workflow Analysis
(Taylor & Francis, 2013-12-06) Graves, Tonia; Arthur, Michael A.
Institutional growth at Old Dominion University and changes within its libraries over the past several years have left the Serials Unit feeling anything but crystal clear. In moving from a print to an electronic focus, the Serials Unit conducted a workflow analysis project. The analysis resulted in a report containing recommendations for reallocating responsibilities and documenting changes in staff skills and positions. This article, which grew out of a presentation at the 15th North Carolina Serials Conference “Crystal Clear? Today’s Libraries, Tomorrow’s Library Users,” describes the workflow analysis process and expands on how its recommendations have benefited the Serials Unit. Serials Review 2006; 32:238–246.
Developing a Distributed Print Depository System: Challenges and Opportunities
(Taylor & Francis, 2005-09-24) DeRosiers, Barbara; Trevvett, Melissa; Arthur, Michael A.
Barbara DesRosiers and Melissa Trevvett provided background information regarding their ongoing projects to develop print archives to preserve legacy materials and to serve as a backup to electronic journals. The presenters discussed projects currently underway and outlined the factors and issues to be considered when planning to form or join a print archive consortium. They also provided details about their current partnerships with JSTOR, Michigan State University, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and Yale University including: the components of the projects, funding and staffing issues, and coordination and communication among the partners. The presenters stressed the importance of legal agreements among partners as a way to minimize risk and provide better management of the program.
Developing a Statewide Print Repository in Florida: The UCF Experience with FLARE
(Purdue University, 2013) Arthur, Michael A.; Zhang, Y.
Many academic libraries are struggling with collections size reaching or exceeding building capacity. Meanwhile, the movement of twenty-first-century libraries calls for user-centered space. The combination of these two factors has challenged libraries to identify ways to eliminate physical collections without losing access to content. The academic libraries in the State of Florida, including the University of Central Florida (UCF), have discussed and developed plans for a shared print repository for several years. For the past few years a statewide Shared Storage Task Force was convened with representation from the state university libraries, and eventually formed the Florida Academic Repository (FLARE) under the leadership of the University of Florida. In 2012, FLARE received the first large shipment from a participating library, the University of Miami. After a few months of active planning, UCF implemented its project preparing materials to send to FLARE and is poised to be the next library contributing to FLARE. As presented, the UCF FLARE project requires tremendous coordination and collaboration within the multiple units in the Technical Services Division at UCF and with the external FLARE Team in Gainesville. Policies and procedures were developed with guidance from the FLARE Team, and internal workflow was designed to ensure accurate processing. This presentation focused on providing an overview of the FLARE project with a specific focus on the UCF experience in selecting and processing materials.
Electronic Book Acquisition Strategies in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Literature
(Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026-04) Scott, Rachel E.; Arthur, Michael A.
Electronic book (e-book) acquisition models have evolved over the decades they have been available to library customers. This review leverages findings from scholarly literature to document the proliferation and evolution of e-book acquisitions models, their strengths and weaknesses in various contexts, and their role in the collection development strategies of academic libraries. From firm orders and subscription packages to demand-driven and evidence-based acquisitions, engagement with e-book acquisitions models varies considerably based on factors such as library budget and staffing, institutional curriculum and programs, consortial affiliations, support for textbook affordability initiatives, and COVID-19 responses. The findings from this literature review suggest multiple acquisition models are frequently used in combination; librarians closely monitor e-book expenditures and use, regularly modifying acquisitions parameters; and e-book strategy is dependent on institutional goals, library budgets, consortial participation, and marketplace realities. Additionally, the increased availability of e-books and their acquisitions models have created opportunities for research that compares the efficiency and effectiveness of e-book purchasing models and draws on existing and evolving evaluative models to establish benchmarks for measuring success.
Expectations and Realities of Streaming Video
(2021-04) Calabrese, Cara; Arthur, Michael A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Libraries want to support curricular needs for video content, but meeting needs can be difficult when faculty are inflexible regarding title, format type, and timeline. How many of us have gotten the email saying I need a specific film to show in my class on a date that is suspiciously close to today? Many librarians actively try to educate faculty about the importance of asking early for class required content. That message doesn’t always get through. It can also be hard to break the expectations library patrons have regarding streaming video for personal use. So many people are consuming streaming video via a variety of platforms and that content is easily available on interfaces that keep working to make staying on their platform easier and more desirable. The content can be nearly instantaneous, when renting (leased) or purchasing (perpetual) new content. However, purchasing and delivery models for some of these platforms may not be as manageable for libraries as it is for an individual purchasing content for their own personal use. For example, they may not allow for IP authentication with site wide license, or they may require payment for “individual only access” at the point of need. How can the library provide access to streaming video content that meets the needs of the academic community while competing against the large variations in options available to individual users? More importantly, should we? Should we instead be working to manage expectations and educate patrons on costs, processes, and restrictions the library faces in availability and access as opposed to what individuals encounter? What have we been doing recently to cultivate conversations on this topic? What resources are we providing for streaming video in general? How are we tackling changes in access regarding streaming video collections? What alternative solutions are being offered and how feasible are those solutions for both faculty and the library? When is it more feasible to promote a DVD as an alternative? What role do librarians have in educating the campus community regarding copyright and fair use for both streaming video and DVD? Coming from both a large and a medium/small university, we will look at what methods and communication our libraries have been implementing to answer these questions. Presented at the ACRL 2021 conference, held virtually April 13-16, 2021.
Expediting the Delivery of Content to Library Users: When to Buy Versus When to Borrow?
(2020-07-17) Decker, Emy Nelson; Arthur, Michael A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
If an item is not readily available in an academic library’s collection, is it quicker to buy it or does is make better sense to borrow it? At a public, four-year institution, Acquisitions and ILL are exploring a new relationship to improve the users’ experience. The question is determining what triggers the decision to borrow versus buy an item. The exploration is born of the institution’s ongoing migration from a traditional to a demand driven based collections strategy. This article will elucidate how Acquisitions and ILL can work together to effectively deliver what users need when they need it.
How Technology Fee Funding Transformed Collection Decisions at the University of Central Florida
(Against the Grain, 2013-04) Arthur, Michael A.; White, Natasha
In 2007, the Florida Legislature addressed the need for technology funding at the eleven state universities. The change permitted each university to collect technology fees from students at the rate of 5% of tuition. The new fees went into effect at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year.
Improving the Librarian-Publisher Relationship: What Librarians and Publishers Need to Know About Each Other
(The Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, 2015-06) Brown, Laura; Arthur, Michael A.
I’ll Be Back: Post-Purchase Activities and ROI
(Purdue University, 2014) Arthur, Michael A.; Bucknall, Tim; Kaelin, Stephanie; Schulman, Sarah; Showers, Kristi
What kinds of services and support should be expected after the sale? Vendors are increasingly providing postsale services to their customers, typically in the form of account development. This panel discussion examined experiences that vendors, libraries, and consortia have had with one another, including which services have been beneficial, and explored future enhancements that will benefit libraries and users. The panelists provided specific examples of past collaborations, including customized trainings, usage analysis, and professional development events. Panelists discussed topics of interest to librarians and vendors with a focus on ways to get the best ROI out of library resources. Librarians and publishers on the panel highlighted the important role that each side has in improving ROI and marketing the resources to the library community.
Judging the Need for and Value of DDA in an Academic Research Library Setting
Walker, Kevin W.; Arthur, Michael A.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
KBART: Best Practices in Knowledgebase Data Transfer
(Taylor & Francis, 2009-03-13) McCracken, Peter; Arthur, Michael A.
Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) is a joint project between the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and the UK Serials Group (UKSG) that is now underway with a focus on improving the functioning of OpenURL by providing standards for the quality and timeliness of data provided by publishers to knowledgebases. In this presentation Peter McCracken, Co-founder of Serials Solutions, provided an overview of KBART and discussed the future plans of this new initiative. A major goal of KBART is to develop a best practices guide that can be used by content providers as they focus on quality control as it relates to the data they provide to the knowledgebase. By bringing together librarians, publishers, aggregators, and e-resource and access management services (ERAMS) vendors the hope is that the real beneficiaries will be library patrons. Several problems that impact the ability of users to get to full-text content include OpenURL data errors and syntax errors. Peter provided an overview of the problems facing library patrons, the various factors that can lead to errors in the knowledgebase and what the KBART project may be able to do to contribute to better data for everyone. The various groups are meeting monthly and presentations are planned at several national-level conferences. KBART will be successful if it results in better data for everyone including those who provide it, those who process it, those who present it, and those who use it.
Learning to Love Gifts: How One Library Has Increased Efficiency in Processing, and Realized the Benefits of Gift Materials
(2009) Arthur, Michael A.

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