To succeed in our pursuit of new knowledge and discoveries, we need access to exceptional research collections and information resources. This project is an active step toward ensuring the Libraries’ physical collections can expand sustainably and stay aligned with Dartmouth’s academic and research priorities. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Libraries on this project.
Dartmouth Libraries support the breadth and depth of Dartmouth’s research and teaching mission across all disciplines. We actively build upon our collections and information resources to meet the current and anticipated needs of our academic community. On average, Dartmouth Libraries add 18,000 new physical items to our print collections each year.
Responsibly managing our physical collection is essential to optimizing the Libraries’ spaces for growth, discoverability, and long-term sustainability and aligns with our strategic goal to ‘enhance discovery and access to world-class collections and content.’
After consulting the Council on the Libraries, senior leaders, and Arts & Sciences Deans and Associate Deans, we are ready to embark on a focused Collection Management Project. Although assessing our collections on an ongoing basis is part of our regular acquisition and review cycles, this focused 18-month project includes books across all academic disciplines located in Baker-Berry Library, Sherman Library, and the Library Collections & Services Facility.
Combining the deep expertise of the Libraries’ staff with a powerful new collections analysis tool and best practices of collections management, we devised a thorough, thoughtful process to:
- assess our monograph collections;
- retain monographs borrowed in the past decade;
- relocate lower-used materials to the Library Collections & Services Facility;
- and deaccession items according to strict criteria.
Collection management is a healthy and essential part of library work, and projects like these help us safeguard the academic record while sustainably expanding the Libraries’ physical collections to support world-class research.
Why are we doing this project and why now?
Active collection management is essential to curate and steward Dartmouth’s collections for both our current and future academic community. Although this is a regular part of overall collections responsibilities, we have been unable to keep up with this aspect of the work due to other pressures. Over the past few years, much of the collection management focus revolved around the planning, construction, and operationalizing our new Library Collections and Services Facility. The new facility is key to the long-term stewardship of our collections for the Dartmouth community and beyond. In addition, we have recently gained access to a powerful collection analysis tool, which ensures that our library experts can not only do this work at a different scale, but their assessments are informed by accurate data to support thoughtful decisions.
Have the Libraries been requested to do this?
This planned project is part of regular library work. There has been no request, external or otherwise, to remove items from the collections. As laid out in our Collection Development Policy and our Collection Management Policy, our collections reflect the research and curricular needs of our academic community.
Furthermore, should we receive any request to remove items from the collections, it would be subject to Dartmouth Libraries’ Challenged Materials Policy, which states clearly that we do not remove items from our collections based on external requests.
How are decisions on the monograph collections made?
Based on the Libraries’ Collection Policies, we devised a robust and thoughtful process with strict guidelines to assess our monograph collections by combining the deep expertise of library staff with a powerful new collections analysis tool. Our aims are to:
- create space for new materials while preserving academic continuity
- evaluate the use, condition, and alignment of the circulating print collections
- ensure responsible stewardship through thoughtful, data-informed decisions regarding the retention or deaccession of current resources
- align with faculty disciplinary priorities and pedagogical needs.
Utilizing the collections analysis tool GreenGlass (quantitative), we identified monographs for closer review, ensuring that:
- 100 or more copies of the same edition are available across US academic institutions
- more than five (5) copies held by Ivy Plus Library Confederation partners are available via the premium BorrowDirect service.
Following this data analysis, we will look closer at just over 120,000 monographs (or about 7.5% of our 1.6 million monograph collection). From here, our library experts will use their deep knowledge and subject expertise to further scrutinize the identified items. With added criteria (qualitative), our librarians will ensure we retain items that have/are:
- been borrowed at least once in ten years
- relevant to current and anticipated curriculum and research needs
- foundational to discipline
- by an underrepresented author or about an underrepresented topic
- by Dartmouth faculty; a known Dartmouth connection
- known local or regional significance
- unique physical characteristics
- part of retention agreements that ensure the health of our collective national collections.
Why not move identified monographs to the new Library Collections & Services Facilities?
The LCSF is a critical addition to the Libraries’ infrastructure that will ensure the long-term stewardship and care of physical collections needing special environmental storage. A key aspect of regularly reviewing the collections is identifying lower-use curriculum- and research-related items for relocation to the LCSF.
However, no library can acquire new resources and build active collections while keeping everything that came before. Collection experts at Dartmouth Libraries apply a strategic, data-informed approach to collection decision-making, assessing item-specific information, the environmental conditions of various spaces, and Dartmouth’s current research and educational needs. The results help to inform when and where to store items long-term.
What happens to deaccessioned items?
Dartmouth Libraries understands the importance of passing its deaccessioned items to a responsible partner for the continued use and benefit of the learning community. Like many of our peers, we are therefore donating deaccessioned materials to Better World Books, an organization that has established national and international literacy programs, enabled by donations like ours.
Better World Books will receive the majority of our deaccessioned items with the exception of: annuals; books published by magazines; Britannica or World Book Encyclopedia; reference material older than five years old; case law and tax forms; journals and periodicals; as well as directories. We will recycle items in these categories.
What if I later need a deaccessioned book for my research?
Access to the information you need remains central to Dartmouth Libraries' mission. The Libraries’ collections’ infrastructure stretches beyond the limits of our physical and digital spaces. Through services like BorrowDirect and Interlibrary Loan, we will continue to provide you with the materials you need.
How can I learn more about this project?
Your subject librarians are happy to meet with you and provide further details. Find and contact your subject librarian.