Assessing an academic library collection through capacity and usage indicators: testing a multi‐dimensional model

The purpose of this paper is to test a multi‐dimensional model of indicators for collection evaluation (proposed in a previous paper by the authors) and to illustrate how to apply these indicators in practice.

An analytical study will be used to test the use of the multi‐dimensional collection evaluation model to assess an academic library collection. The study will: define the scope of the collection; focus on two of the dimensional categories (capacity and usage) and identify indicators for the two categories.

This paper demonstrates that combining usage indicators with capacity measurement (in terms of dollar expenditures) provides a powerful method of assessment with the potential to provide valuable data.

This study provides an accurate assessment of a library's collection in the current information environment. It does not currently include institutional repositories or locally created digital resources that will need to be addressed in the future as they mature and become more robust.

Academic libraries will have a reliable and sustainable model for the assessment of their collections. This paper illustrates how to assess the collection using the selected indicators.

The value of this study is in its development of the multi‐dimensional model for collection assessment and in the reliability and accuracy of the collection data it provides. It provides an evidence‐based method for assessing an academic library collection.