The Complete Collections Assessment Manual: A Holistic Approach. By Madeline M. Kelly. Chicago: Neal-Schuman, 2021. 250 p. $58. softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1868-5).

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?

The Complete Collections Assessment Manual provides library professionals with the answers on how to proceed with questions they have and, perhaps, with questions they did not think to ask. The book is structured into three parts: Planning a Collections Assessment Program, Metrics and Methods, and Appendixes.

Part 1 addresses the assessment holistically and hoped for outcomes and goals, identifying the necessary stakeholders in the discussion, selecting the data and the methodology to used to collect the information, project planning and how to anticipate possible challenges, how to communicate with stakeholders, including a discussion on how to invite outside partners into the discussion, how to present your findings, and special considerations to consider. In chapter 4, the author offers three frameworks for discussion: traditional, Borin and Yi, and a framework she refers to as “Goldilocks.” Each framework is discussed and they are referenced throughout the text. At the end of many of the chapters are sources for additional information: bibliographies, examples, and sample plans.

Part 2 addresses how to put a developed plan into action and addresses many of features in collections assessment: the collections, inventory, e-resource environmental scan, users and patron demographic mapping, interviews and focus groups, circulation and inter library loan analysis, and citations analysis. Within the chapters are discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of each of these pieces and how to prepare, analyze, and use the data.

Part 3 supplies assessment planning templates and sample collections assessment portfolios that can be used as is or adapted to the needs of specific libraries. Also included is an annotated overview of the technologies available, such as resources for data cleaning, merging, and visualization, bibliometric tools and those for graphic tools and project management. Each offering is noted as being cloud-based, free, or premium or subscription based.

Throughout the text are a myriad of visuals in the form of charts, statistical breakdowns, project plans mapping data to intended goals, and Gantt charts. Many of these visuals assist librarians in their need to supply data and information to interested parties. Additionally, once the assessment has been implemented the author supplies questions, analysis, and viewpoints how to critically understand your findings.

In the introduction, the author states that her goal was to “set out to create a one-stop shop for practical, actionable collections assessment that not only guides readers step-by-step through major assessment methods but also provides concrete guidance on how to contextualize those methods within a broader assessment framework” (xix). This goal was successfully met. The author has not simply offered a theoretical analysis of what collections assessment is about, but has created an all-encompassing manual on how to approach a collections assessment for libraries of all types. Through the text she supplies the pros and cons of each suggested offering, letting the reader decide which course of action would work best in their respective library.

The author encourages librarians to take a critical view of their collections and encourages them to take make diversity an important component in their assessment. In chapter 4, the author explains, “take care that your assessment accommodates a balance of perspectives, identities, and voices. It is not enough to assume this would happen passively; we must actively examine our practices to ensure that the information we steward is diverse and inclusive” (29). Further, “This plays out in assessment at multiple levels, including in the frameworks we build to conduct our assessments, the date we use to populate them and the conclusions we draw in the end.” What follows is a discussion on how to accomplish this in practice.

In a world where libraries are increasingly expected to prove their value and to help counter any negative impact on collections development budgets creating a practical collections assessment plan is critical. Madeline Kelly has not only met her own goals but has wonderfully exceeded them to provide library professionals with the tools they will need to meet the objectives of their library.—Jackie Parascandola (jpara@upenn.edu), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania