Generic Statement of a Collection Manager's
Professional Duties and Responsibilities

Collection manager of the _____________ collection(s). Responsible for all aspects of collection management and development for ________________, including selection of information resources, collection management (including storage, preservation, and weeding decisions), faculty liaison, collection interpretation (including specialized reference service and user instruction),collection evaluation, budgetary management, and resource sharing.Letter of evalutation

Selection of Information Resources

• Know the assigned subject(s) and have an awareness of current trends in the subject(s).
• Develop, use, and routinely review a working list of selection tools.
• Be timely, accurate, and thorough in following specific procedures such as approval book review, providing information for ordering or cataloging, ordering from selection tools, response to requests.
• Select library materials for purchase on a timely and continuing basis according to the Collection Development Policy.
• Review incoming materials, including approval plan, standing order, form selection, and other new receipts to maintain awareness of new titles, to flag materials for rush and priority cataloging, to notify faculty, and to alert processing librarians to problems.
• Develop, maintain, and review approval plan profile for assigned subject(s).
• Review and be responsive to indicators of gaps in the collections (e.g. user requests, complaints, ILL requests).
• Review the collection development policy for assigned subject(s) to insure it meets the relevant UCSB teaching, research, and service programs, and revise as necessary in consultation with faculty and the AUL/Collection Development.
• Identify collection managers in related fields and work with them as appropriate to coordinate selection of materials.
• Select non-purchase items (e.g. gifts) in subject area for addition to the collection.
• Evaluate potential gifts.
• Maintain appropriate records of desiderata, serials subscription/cancellation decisions, as needed.
• Solicit gifts and exchanges to supplement purchased items in subject area.
• Establish relations with bookdealers and publishers specializing in the subject.
• Encourage suggestions for materials purchases from library users.

Collection Management

• Designate appropriate processing priorities.
• Review current serial subscriptions for appropriate action.
• Consult with appropriate departments on cataloging and binding problems.
• Monitor use in order to identify needed additional copies, replacement copies, or subsequent editions.
• Identify deteriorating library materials that should be preserved.
• Evaluate materials for limited access because their condition, value, or demand requires special protection.
• Negotiate needed transfers from one location to another.
• Select lesser-used materials for location in SRLF, the Annex, or withdrawal.

Faculty Liaison Activities

• Establish and maintain good communication with your department's library liaison.
• Visit the department chair on a regular basis to discuss the department's plans, including the recruitment of new faculty and the development of new courses.
• Become familiar with the research interests and professional activities of each faculty member.
• Visit each member of the faculty at least annually to discuss his/her library needs.
• Contact each new faculty member and offer to provide a special orientation to the library's resources and services.
• Become knowledgeable about the composition of your department, including number of full-time faculty, lecturers, majors, teaching and research assistants, graduate students, etc.
• Keep informed about the curriculum and any curricular changes.
• Offer to attend faculty meetings to update the department on library issues.
• Prepare current acquisitions lists or other communication mechanisms for informing the department about library resources and services.
• Consult with appropriate faculty before acquiring expensive items or changing collecting policies.
• Offer to work with the faculty to develop library instruction for classes with research needs.
• Provide research consultation for faculty and students as appropriate.

Collection Interpretation

Direct User Instruction: Provide general and specific assistance to users in selecting and locating appropriate materials for their research.

• Types of general assistance:
  1. provide general reference service;
  2. conduct general orientation tours;
  3. offer general workshops in new sources, especially new technologies;
  4. participate in library instruction program.
• Types of specific assistance:
  1. establish with graduate advisors a system of notifying each graduate student of library services (e.g. research consultations, online searches, etc.);
  2. offer faculty course-related lectures;
  3. participate in research consultation program.

Indirect User instruction: Encourage user interest in and understanding of library resources and services by actively undertaking the following:

1. prepare exhibits, brochures, publicity articles;
2. provide user aids (e.g. instructional brochures for research tools, checklists, annotated bibliographies, etc.);
3. set up staff training/workshops on new resources;
4. maintain ongoing awareness of new resources, including extra-library resources for referrals.

Collection Evaluation

• Know the strengths and weaknesses of the assigned subject collection(s).
• Conduct an evaluation of discrete parts of the assigned subject collection(s) each year.
• Undertake major assessments of significant portions of the assigned subject collection(s) every 3-5 years.
• Conduct use studies.

Budgetary Management

• Manage all funds for assigned area.
• Know the current trends in discipline related costs for different type of materials (books, periodicals, software, etc.).
• Know the current trends in exchange rates and other costs associated with acquiring materials.
• Predict the impact of costs on funding requirements.
• Develop written justifications for funding special needs.
• Establish and apply priorities for spending allocated funds.
• Monitor spending and adjust spending as needed.
• Make annual estimates of expenditures for library materials in assigned subject(s) from all sources, including serials, approval plans, standing orders, etc.
• Make annual written materials budget request based on available information.

Resource Sharing

• Know existing resource sharing agreements and their impact on selection decisions.
• Consider potential resource sharing agreements and their impact on the collection development policy.
• Coordinate selection policies with other collections and libraries.
• Recommend materials for Shared Purchase Program.
• Review Shared Purchase Program proposals and recommend action.
• Explore resource sharing possibilities with other collection managers.

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Review Process

Form Letter Used to Solicit Outside Evaluations of
Collection Management and Development Activities

____________________ is responsible for building and managing the library's ______________ collection. His/her collection activities are focused on acquiring and providing access to information resources which best support the teaching and research needs of the campus. Establishing and maintaining liaison with faculty and students is a major responsibility. He/she is also responsible for instruction activities on the use of information resources for ________________. Please comment on these or other aspects of his/her collection development and management work, such as his/her awareness of teaching and research programs in your department, his/her responsiveness to your information needs, and his/her assistance in providing access to information resources.

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Collection Managers' Manual Procedures Table of Contents

Author: Cecily Johns Last modified: February 10, 1998 Approved December 28, 1989

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