Collection development best practices for digital collections in public libraries

1. FFL E-STRATEGY
OCPL SYSTEM E-STRATEGY MEETING
10/24/13
Presented by Monica Kuryla, Director of Innovative Information Access
Fayetteville Free Library

2. Collection Development Model
Goal: To provide access to content when and where a
person needs it.
 Patrons Driven acquisition model
 On demand/instant gratification fulfillment
 Providing opportunities for discovery of content

3. E-Collection Development Tips
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Analyze stats/Run reports
 Look
for trends in items you already have circulating in
other formats such as print
 Set up criteria for holds and additional copies
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Anticipate popular topics/titles
 http://freshfiction.com/medias.php
-sign up for weekly
email
 Upcoming Gifford Lectures, award winners, etc.
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Bestselling authors are a sure thing

4. Ways to Provide Access to e-Content
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Digital Catlogs-3M and Overdrive
Circulating Devices w/ preloaded content (holdable
and non-holdable)
Circulating kits including preloaded devices
Preloaded iPad for Roving reference Service (inhouse and outside the library)
Purchase on Demand (non-holdable circ devices)
In house devices w/ preloaded content on display
Online Reference Resources

5. Create a Spending/Implementation Plan
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Reallocating funds (identify lesser circed formats
and web resources)
How many times a year to update content
Who updates content/maintains devices
Balance of content-Adult fiction, non-fiction, Teen,
Childrens, apps (games, etc.)
What are the accessories (if any needed)
Start small to implement plan by strategically
determining organization wide priorities for access

6. Digital catalogs collection strategy

3M & Overdrive
 Run
a top holds report through Simply Reports for print
materials, your Branch pickup
 Run a report of current waiting list
 Look at the wishlist of suggested titles
 Look at Amazon.com top eBook sales
 Add titles that relate to trending topics
 Order multiple copies based on waiting lists (i.e. more
than 5 local holds = additional copy)
Overdrive-less likely to order Harper Collins titles and will
not purchase WMA audio format

7. Determining Content Containers
When selecting which model device to contain content
accessible by patrons, consider the following:
 Content Sharing (i.e. Nook can only share content across
6 devices)
 Tablet vs. designated ereaders-consider users
expectations
 Ease of device maintenance-collection development and
uploading
 App store

8. Circulating Devices w/ preloaded
content (holdable and non-holdable)
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What titles are not accessible through our digital
catalogs? (i.e. new James Patterson, etc.)
What are the top titles on hold (limit to Branch
pickup)
Creating a balance of title selection based on:
1)who is using the devices 2)who could be using them
-Implement a survey @ point of transaction
Adding popular (and FREE) apps-games

9. Circulating kits including preloaded
devices
Kit ideas:
1)
2)
3)
Early
Literacy
Learn a
Skill
Teen Topic
Kits
(literature
& history)
A great way to includes multi-media to
enhance a skill or learn something new!
Include in kits:
Preloaded device with apps and
specific skill based content
Print materials-how tos or suggested
activities
Other media including music/video
content

10. Purchase on Demand (non-holdable
circ devices)
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Goal: to fulfill the immediate content need of
patron that is not accessible immediately in other
formats.
Use a non-holdable circulating device checked in.
Purchase content on demand and download it to
library’s device.
If you already are providing access to content in
multiple formats, then you shouldn’t have to
allocated a lot of $$ to this.

11. In house devices w/ preloaded content
on Display
Information Kiosks-Ready Reference & Magazines
Stations include (stand up and sit down): reference
area, café, magazine area, teen area, children’s
room, digital learning center
Ideas for content:
-Photo Booth
-Short games (word games, math challenges, etc.)
-Catalog
-Ready reference apps

12. Preloaded iPad for Roving Reference Service (in-
house and outside the library)
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Assess your user’s reference content needs
Create a roving reference service plan inside and
outside and the library
Research and pre-load content (apps and eBook)Most content is FREE!
Examples include: Newstand (including your LJ and
Consumer Reports subscriptions), Khan Academy,
White Pages, Connect, etc.

13. Online Reference Resources
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Assess your users virtual reference needs AND your
staff reference resource needs
Create topics of most common asked questions
Research and benchmark other libraries links of
resources that fit into these topics
Compare free (credible) resources to paid
resources by conducting sample searches
Assess and update once a year

14. Promote Your e-Collections Cheaply
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Request and use vendors promotional materials.
They are free!
Create in house displays to highlight content
Train staff to promote content and the multiple ways
to access content through transactions with patrons
Promote content and access points during programs
or training sessions with patrons.
Promote through social media and your own website

15. Assessing your e-Collections
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Survey users @ point of transaction
 what
do they want (web, in house and outside the
library)
 How do they want to access the content?
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Run reports
 How
many times are titles/devices circulating
 What types of titles are being accessed
Have conversations with your users virtually and
everywhere you encounter people!

16. Questions?
Fayetteville Free Library
Homepage: www.fflib.org
Twitter: @fayettevillelib
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fayfreelibrary
Monica Kuryla
Director of Innovative Information Access
mkuryla@fflib.org
@mkuryla
Susan Considine
Executive Director
sconsidine@fflib.org
@sconsidine