{"id":41,"date":"2018-07-06T12:08:20","date_gmt":"2018-07-06T12:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/liscp10.epgpbooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/?post_type=chapter&p=41"},"modified":"2018-12-07T05:30:37","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T05:30:37","slug":"analysis-of-circulation-data-including-the-quantitative-methods-to-evaluate-collection","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/liscp10\/chapter\/analysis-of-circulation-data-including-the-quantitative-methods-to-evaluate-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"Analysis of Circulation data, including the quantitative methods to evaluate collection"},"content":{"raw":"
\"epgp<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Objectives<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To highlight the importance of circulation data, most often neglected\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To know the elements of a circulation transaction record\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To examine the studies on analysis of circulation data and their applications\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To profile some studies on Circulation data evaluation and Pittsburgh Study\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To study implications of quantitative methods in the evaluation of collection\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To profile the elementary types of Library Statistics\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nII. Learning Outcome<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

You will gain knowledge in the area of 'Analysis of Circulation Data' also you will be knowledgeable in the area of library statistics; how to apply it for collection development, including evaluation of library collection.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIII. Module Structure<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0 Introduction\r\n\r\n2.\u00a0 Study of Circulation Transactions\r\n\r\n3.\u00a0 A brief Literary Review\r\n\r\n4.\u00a0 Analysis of Circulation Data\r\n\r\n5.\u00a0 Evaluation of Collection\r\n

5.1 Evaluation process<\/p>\r\n

5.2 Evaluation Studies<\/p>\r\n

5.3 Trueswell\u2019s 80:20 Rule<\/p>\r\n

5.4 Examples of Collection Evaluation Studies<\/p>\r\n6.\u00a0 Evaluation of Electronic Resources\r\n\r\n7.\u00a0 Library Statistics \u2013 Need, importance and standards\r\n\r\n8.\u00a0 Librametry\r\n\r\n9.\u00a0 Source or mode of collection of Library statistics\r\n\r\n10.\u00a0 Standards of Library Statistics\r\n

10.1 Standards and Guides on Library Statistics<\/p>\r\n

10.1.1\u00a0 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)<\/p>\r\n

10.1.2 International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)<\/p>\r\n

10.1.3 National Information Standards Organisation<\/p>\r\n

10.1.4 Bureau of Indian Standards<\/p>\r\n

10.1.5 American Library Association: Office for Research and Statistics<\/p>\r\n11.\u00a0 Type of Library Statistics\r\n\r\n12.\u00a0 References\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1. Introduction<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The circulation section of a library is the one which comes in contact with the customers most. It is one of the most visible section hence Ranganathan has portrayed it to the tip of a temple tower, as it is a library is simulated to a temple (Ranganathan,1973). The circulation department in a library is a dynamic section with several associated activities with outputs of a vast volume of data that can be used for the better Collection management and development.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Several studies and models on the use of circulation data or circulation transaction records for analyzing the collection of a library and use the same for collection development and management are available. Simple circulation statistics suggest that a document borrowed most frequently by the same or different borrowers, is more useful than one borrowed less frequently. The concept of resource sharing might be correlated to the cooperative collection development policies based on the behavior of transaction records. So the data of circulation transactions is very valuable and has multiple implications in the use of library collection. As it is discussed in the Unit -3 the \u201cUse studies\u201d is complementary to the applications of this Unit.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n2. Study of Circulation Transactions<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The most important item of circulation statistics is the circulation transactions comprising several variables. They normally include; issue and return of books, interlibrary loans, number of registered members and by category of users, overdue fee collection, delinquent user and more in depth issues by language and subjects, by department, by type of user and many more as are required. So the quantum of statistical data compiled and maintained by the circulation work is of high magnitude and its implications are found in the improvement of library services and most so in the collection development and collection evaluation. It is stated that \u201canalysis of circulation data gives rise to information related to the volume of use by type of documents and by type of user, use of documents of different age, seasonal variations in transactions and so on\u201d.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The librarians and libraries have believed that the circulation data, generated out of transaction records** of documents borrowed, could be taken as an indicator of the use of the library resources. This simple unnoticed and unevaluated circulation data or statistics would suggest; frequency of borrowing the item by the same user or by different users and can be used for several library collection development instances. Its further utilities are numerous, for example, the borrowed document data along with the borrower data provide information which can be used by the management for formulating and adopting policies for the acquisition and processing of documents. It can, observing the transaction record of a document or documents over a period of time, decisions on weeding or de-accessioning the collection. So the circulation data of a library provide several indicators and can be utilized for collection evaluation, improving the collection and the library services.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n\r\n**Example of Element of data in a Transaction Record:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Name of the library\/Institution and other details\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bibliographic details of the item borrowed\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Personal and official details of a borrower\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Date of borrowing\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Due date\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Date of Return\r\n\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Number of times the item is borrowed and frequencies\r\n\r\n \r\n

So in this Unit the studies on Analysis of Circulation data and utility of the same in the evaluation process are discussed.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n3. A brief Literary Review<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Several studies have been attempted in the context of collection evaluation using the circulation data, especially book transactions. It was Trueswell who made a beginning for the study and analysis of transaction records in 1964 (Trueswell, 1965 ). He discussed the problems involved in forecasting document use based on transaction records. He pointed out that one way of predicting future use is to examine the distribution of transactions over documents. This requires scrutiny of \u201cdue-date\u201d slips attached to the documents. The objective of his study was to identify a \u201ccore collection\u201d of frequently used documents. Trueswell\u2019s method is based only on the \u201clast recorded circulation date\u201d. He examines the due date slips for each volume borrowed during a specified period of time in order to record the last circulation date for each document. Since the study by Trueswell many studies on the analysis of circulation data have been carried out and some of them also made improvements over his study.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Turner (Turner, 1977) in his generalization of Trueswell\u2019s approach, presents a method that he calls an identifier method that could be used to develop rules in many non-library oriented areas where identification of low-use items is desirable.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Morse (Morse,1968) has shown that the distribution of number of times a book is issued follows a Poisson distribution. Ravichandra Rao and Burrell have shown for a large set of data the distribution of transactions follows a negative Binomial mode(Burrell & Ravichandra Rao, 1982).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Ravichandra Rao has shown that transaction of documents over a period of time manifests \u2018success breeds success\u2019 phenomena, and that means \u201c it is only those documents which are circulated are likely to be circulated again and again\u201d. He has also shown that the circulation can be used to evaluate the library circulation (quantitatively based on the circulation data) using concentration curve (Ravichandra Rao, 1983).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The statements were revised with further studies in the form that \u201ctime gap between the date of last circulation and the current date\u201d observed by Trueswell and this time-gap is termed as \u201cidle-time\u201d of a document. The idle time is described in an example such as \u201ca book might have been used 20 times, 20 years ago; another book might have been used\u00a0only once a week ago\u201d. In this context it is quite likely that chances of the latter book to be in circulation in the near future are much higher than the chances of the former. So another revised interpretation as \u201cit is only those documents which are circulated recently are likely to be circulated again and again\u201d be made about the circulation data.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n4. Analysis of Circulation Data<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

The circulation data it is affirmed can be correlated to several other variables. That this data\/information can be used in teaching methods adopted, changes in circulation and the examination procedures adopted in the universities. In this context it is possible to correlate the circulation data with the overall objectives of the library, physical facilities available in the library, hours of charging and discharging functions in the library.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

It is further examined that the circulation data using the user and documents characteristics \u2013 age of the user, gender of the user, status of the user, level of document, subject content of the document etc., it is possible to map a library\u2019s use with following evaluation results.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0 A pattern of relative frequency distribution of documents in the collection in a given period of time, and<\/p>\r\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The proportion of the circulated documents to the total collection of the library.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nThese results would further involve:\r\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 An analysis of the data in terms of its usefulness to library management;<\/p>\r\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Developing a technique for collecting data<\/p>\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Identifying the types of deductions that can be made from this data\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n4.1\u00a0 Case Studies<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Two important and well known studies on evaluation and acquisition policy are briefly profiled here. They are i) Pittsburgh Study and ii) The SLIS Study.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\na. The Pittsburgh Study<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

As the name states, this study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh by Montgomery and others. The researchers investigated the use of documents in order to evaluate the acquisition policy in terms of subsequent use and also to devise a cost-benefit model for use in collection management. The study defined the \u2018use\u2019 in terms of \u2018number of times\u2019 a document is borrowed.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The study was undertaken in 1975 and conducted in the Hillman Library The second study was done on the use of journals in six science and engineering libraries. The third study consists of a very detailed analysis of the costs of library use and a cost-benefit model of library operations. These are some of the most detailed and best such analyses in the literature.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Use in these libraries was generally low, and highly concentrated on a relatively small proportion of the collections. Browsing was mainly in current and recent volumes; the great majority of older volumes were approached through specific references. There are striking differences among the six libraries presumably explicable by local conditions. The methodology of the sample study, intended as a possible model for other libraries, nevertheless seems hardly less cumbersome and time-consuming than other methods.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Its findings the study determine the extent of materials use and the full cost of such use in the university library system. The purpose of the study was to act as a foundation for improved acquisitions policies. The study uses several research tools like, questionnaires, observation, interview methods. The sample of six libraries used consists of data on the circulation and in-house use of books. It also consists of circulation histories and makes statistical comparison of use and acquisition; journal use as determined through user observation. It defines key concepts and other aspects of use as related to other factors, such as duration of subscription, academic status, age, and department of user; an economic analysis of acquisition and use; and the design of a cost benefit model for library operations, which emphasizes acquisition.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

In conclusion the study\u2019s findings make recommendations to explore further the possibilities of resource sharing, and questions are raised about implications for decision-making in library acquisition. A supplementary appendix for the journal use study discusses technical data, application of data collection methodology to other studies, and collection management.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nb. The SLIS Study<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

This study is of School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) of the University of Western Ontario. The study is the outcome of the investigation made by Ravichandra Rao (Ravichandra Rao, 1981) on the use of documents in Canadian University Libraries.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

The main objective of the study was to characterize the document and user distributions with the following assumptions:<\/p>\r\n \r\n