Previous MSc Theses

"An Investigation of the Collection Management Policies of Scottish Public Libraries." R. Scanlon. F. Gibb. Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde. 2012. Download PDF (BibTeX) MSc Information and Library Studies

Abstract:
Recent developments, such as limitations on library budgets and the introduction of electronic resources, have had a dramatic effect on collection management. There has been a philosophical change in collection management and the effects this and other recent developments have had on collection management policies required research. Collection management policies have traditionally not been used in many libraries so the usage of policies also needed investigation. Scotland was chosen as the venue for the research as its size, demographics and library culture were suitable for the research.

The aim of the research was to determine whether collection management policies were used in public libraries and what components were present in these policies. A literature review was used to provide background information and a survey methodology was used to conduct this research. The aim was to survey all Scottish Local Authorities. Interviews were used to supplement the data.

It was discovered that 93.3% of authorities surveyed had collection management policies. This was a much higher degree of use than found in previous research on other countries. The presence of different components varied greatly with those components predominantly associated with electronic resources generally having the lowest levels of representation. Those authorities that were predominantly rural also had the fewest components on average. The research also discovered that adapting to electronic resources, managing reduced budgets, and the centrality of the user were dominant themes in collection management.