Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-16-2023

Publication Title

MLA | SLA ’23: Looking Back, Forging Ahead

Publisher

Medical Library Association (MLA); Special Libraries Association (SLA)

Publisher Location

Detroit, MI

First page number:

1

Last page number:

17

Abstract

An ideal objective of collection management is the development of a library collection that meets the needs of users and in the case of university libraries, the academic and research needs of a campus community. But in today’s technology-driven, budget-conscious environment, collection development at academic health sciences libraries can present challenging issues for those responsible, especially librarians new to collection development or whose primary responsibilities are situated elsewhere. Issues include gaining familiarity with institutional collection development and purchasing processes, selector collaboration, managing multiple library locations, acquiring non-traditional material, and developing more diverse and inclusive collections.

This paper will present an account of two health sciences librarians from the University of Houston and their individual and collective efforts at collection development during the establishment of the new Medical Library branch and efforts to diversify and enhance existing health sciences collections, including the creation of a health humanities collection at the Health Sciences Library location. Emphasis is placed on budgetary, time, and procedural collection management constraints; demands of respective liaison areas; incorporation of diverse and equitable practices; and inclusion of user feedback. The authors address how the medical library collection was established, including a targeted, medical humanities collection sister to the health sciences humanities collection and detail how the collections at the Health Sciences Library were enhanced.

Academic health science libraries must support the ever-increasing needs of their institutions while balancing finite budgets and responding to fluid collection development practices. Collaborative approaches to collection development in the health sciences allow for building inclusive, intersectional collections that support discovery and health in the twenty-first century and reflect voices of the communities served. Analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data will help identify potential areas of improvement and to elaborate more fully on areas that have proven to be effective.

Keywords

equity-focused collections; diverse collections; medical humanities; medical library; health sciences library; collection development; diversity, equity and inclusion; health humanities; inclusive collections; equitable collection building

Disciplines

Collection Development and Management | Health Sciences and Medical Librarianship | Library and Information Science

File Format

PDF

File Size

636 KB

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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