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----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Collection analysis is labor intensive no matter what you do! Checking proscriptive bibliographies is a good way, but actual-usage fanatics might question whether this meets scholars' real needs (as Truman once said, "What in Hell do the experts know?"). I once heard of a technique of identifying recent dissertations in a field and checking the bibliography of them against your holdings. The goal is not to come up with a list of titles you need to buy, but a relative percentage. It answers the question, how much of actual research could have been accomplished in your library? I don't know of institutions that acutally used this method. Lee Sorensen >----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > >Dear Colleagues: I am about to embark (with our staff) on an >analysis/evaluation of our library's collection. I wonder if any of you >in university research libraries have done this recently. If so, what >sources did you use for comparison of holdings? I always keep track of >how we are doing in terms of Choice, Art Doc, Art Bulletin and other art >history journals. The faculty don't think that means anything. Of, >course I am also checking the "classics" in the art library field: >Freitag's ART BOOKS (1996), Artzen and Rainwater's GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE >OF ART HISTORY, Lois Jones's ART RESEARCH METHODS AND RESOURCES (most >recent ed.), the TL YUAN BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN WRITINGS ON CHINESE ART >AND ARCHAEOLOGY and some titles of general interest like BOOKS FOR COLLEGE >LIBRARIES (3rd ed, 1988), the art section of the BEST REFERENCE BOOKS >series. > >Any other suggestions are welcome! Ray Anne > > Ray Anne Lockard > Head, Frick Fine Arts Library > University Library System > University of Pittsburgh > Pittsburgh, PA 15260 > Voice: 412-648-2410 > Fax: 412-648-7568 > E-mail: [log in to unmask] Lee R. Sorensen Art Librarian and Bibliographer Duke University Lilly Library Box 90727 Durham, NC 27708-0727 Phone: 919/660-5994 [log in to unmask] FAX: 919/660-5999 [log in to unmask] Mobile: 919/612-0011 http://www.lib.duke.edu/lilly/art.html "Wie vast, en veerdich wil leeren schrijven, moet de Penne aldus houden, en voort drijven." Anthoni Smyters