Book Review: The Complete Collections Assessment Manual: A Holistic Approach

Abstract

The world of collections assessment in any type of library is an ever-dynamic activity. Budgetary considerations are critical, the needs of the constituency served may change, whether or not a library has a sufficient number of staff needed to devote attention to the necessary work in this area. Other concerns for an academic library include the addition of new courses or the establishment of new degree programs. Further considerations are libraries and archives wishing to create an assessment tool towards understanding the scope of their hidden collections. Creating collections assessment tools to help libraries would go a long way to assist them in their decision making. The question is how does a library professional begin the process? What considerations are needed? How should we construct the assessment to provide us with the information we need to make constructive decisions? What tools are available to a library to help in this effort?