Collection Reflection

Last year, I volunteered to take over ordering the young adult video games for my library. Unlike the rest of my collection development duties, which are focused on materials at the central library (we also have nine branches), the games are a citywide collection. Although they are all located at one branch for security reasons--they kept wandering off when they were stored here--they can be requested by patrons anywhere in the region. 1 I've done a couple of orders over the past year or so since I became responsible for this area, but hadn't really taken a close look at the numbers until recently. I ran a report (of course) and tried to break down what I was seeing in ways that would be useful for my collection decisions going forward. This is also the only non-print collection that I am responsible for, and boy are the numbers different from what I'm used to seeing, especially in comparison with the nonfiction collection! The most prominent statistic was probably the

Here at Collection Reflection, we're aware that we spend a lot of time talking about ebooks and weeding and EBOOKS , and we're going to start featuring some guest posts on topics outside of our immediate realm of expertise. One of these days, we might actually find someone to talk about something other than public libraries! Today's post comes from one of Robin's colleagues on the topic of collection development and audio CDs and DVDs. -- Hey Chicken Little, the sky is still up there. I mean, that acorn that fell on your head has fallen down, but there’s still plenty of sky. As a music and film librarian, I get asked almost daily about “when are we going to stop carrying discs?” My answer is always, “when people stop checking them out.” Which I’m guessing will be for a while, since my circulation numbers are still healthy and iTunes is over a decade old. Let’s face it, we only got rid of our VHS collection last year--and the few that could still play were still g

Downton Abbey rejuvenates interest in Edwardian Lit . "Pushback" against Nancy Pearl's deal with Amazon . Tablet/E-reader ownership nearly doubles . National Book Critics Circle Award finalists announced . Bestseller lists: How do they work and who do they (mostly) work for? Three Library Predictions for 2012 . About the Merit of an e-Reader as a Single-Purpose Device . ETA: Why E-books are Turning the Library and Publishing Worlds Upside Down . As ALA Midwinter Closes, A Crucial Moment Looms For E-Books . (Because it's all about ebooks, am I right?) Happy Tuesday!

I promised Anna I wouldn't be so heavily ebooks focused. Never trust a lawyer, Anna. Ebooks generally divide people into two camps: Group A: Love them! Will do anything for them! I don't care what you charge me or what usage restrictions you place on me, just give me more more more. Group B: No thank you. I'll stick with print. I know what I'm getting, I can do what I want want it. Straighten out the formats, stop the vendor wars and   then   we'll talk. I'm actually not in either of these groups. I'm more of an A-/B+. I love ebooks, but not to the exclusion of everything else. I hate the angst surrounding them, but not so much that I'll refuse to buy them. Over the weekend, news leaked out that there was going to be an   ebook summit between ALA   and the publishers who won't sell ebooks to libraries (Simon & Schuster and Macmillan--Penguin is invited along too). This is great news. Wouldn't you love to be a coffee cup on the table in t

From Minneapolis-St. Paul: Ebook usage soars, but still small percentage of overall usage  (same holds true for us in Indy). Brilliance Audio suspending library downloading . The Problem with Ebooks and Libraries is That There Should be No Problem . (Yes.) Libraries walk a tight rope on porn . ( LA Times editorial) E-reader lets you physically turn the page  (why?)  B&T getting into the hardware business? Ebooks surge after the holidays . ( USA Today style)  Happy Tuesday!

A quick peek into some digital book numbers from Robin's ( @Tuphlos ) collection at  IMPCL : Some end of the year Overdrive statistics: Overall checkouts (audio and ebook) up 143% in 2011 over 2010. Ebook checkouts were up 470% in 2011 over 2010. Those numbers are without Simon & Schuster, without Macmillan, and without buying new HarperCollins items since March 2010. Audiobook checkouts were up 35% in 2011 over 2010. Overall holds on items went up 151% in 2011 over 2010. Ebook holds, specifically, were up 558%. Current Overdrive collection size: 41,084 titles (11,925 audio, 29,159 ebook).

The Star-Tribune talks e-reading and book apps .  The Evolution of E-books and Interlibrary Loan in Academic Libraries 2011: The Year the eBook wars broke out .  May I introduce you to the Ambassador for Young People's Literature ..... Weeding is Where It's At: Deacquisitioning in a Small, Academic Library The Final Lists: The best of the Best Books of 2011  (login required) Toward an E-library ecosystem: Public libraries will screw themselves if they don't learn from Amazon's comprehensive 'seamless" approach . It's (kinda) Steve's fault, actually . Speaking of Steve, do you know where his biography is a hit?  On the torrent search . Where is it not allowed?  On your public library e-bookshelves. That makes sense, right? Happy New Year.