This question is specifically for librarians at art museums. We have been asked to give an updated statistic for an annual survey performed by the Association of Art Museum Directors. The statistic asks for:
"Number of bound items in library"
I have asked for guidelines as to how they wish this statistic to be achieved, i.e., what to count and how to estimate, but I am told there are no guidelines given by the AAMD. We have our own idea of what *we* feel is appropriate to count, but wanted to tap the collective wisdom.
How do you arrive at a statistic for this question?
Do you equate "bound item" with any volume, whether softcover, hardcover, or other?
Do you determine this statistic by counting individual records in your database, or estimate through a linear shelf measurement?
When counting serial items, do you count only volumes that have been bound, or include an estimate for the bound equivalent of unbound issues? Do you, perhaps, use just a shelf measurement?
Other approaches?
How much time and effort do you devote to calculating this one statistic?
Thank you for any information you can provide. Please answer off-list. If there is sufficient interest, I can tally the answers and summarize for the list.
-Andrew Pierce [log in to unmask]
Library Technical Services & Systems
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
SFMOMA
Library
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103-3159
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