Developing a Strategic Developing a Strategic Plan for German Plan for German

Language Materials in a Language Materials in a Large Research Library Large Research Library

EnvironmentEnvironment

Roger BrissonRoger Brisson

Harvard College LibraryHarvard College Library

7 February 20057 February 2005

The University of Göttingen Library in the Mid-18th Century

Selection CriteriaSelection Criteria

How do we decide whether this book How do we decide whether this book should be acquired for a large academic should be acquired for a large academic library’s collections?library’s collections?What criteria do we use in making this What criteria do we use in making this decision?decision?Is it possible for a selector to explain the Is it possible for a selector to explain the decision to purchase any given book decision to purchase any given book added to the collections?added to the collections?Should Should a selector be able to do this?a selector be able to do this?

Two Possible ApproachesTwo Possible Approaches

In this case, one could delineate a rationale In this case, one could delineate a rationale for a selection decision in two differing for a selection decision in two differing ways: ways: Yes, why not, this book Yes, why not, this book couldcould be useful to be useful to aa scholar doing research at some point in scholar doing research at some point in the near- or long-term future. We collect the near- or long-term future. We collect comprehensively.comprehensively.No, this book would be No, this book would be out-of-scope,out-of-scope, i.e., it i.e., it is too popular for our collections.is too popular for our collections.

A Bibliographic TypologyA Bibliographic Typology

Does not belong to core German studiesDoes not belong to core German studies

Not a scholarly monographNot a scholarly monograph

Not popular literatureNot popular literature

Important as contemporary literature for Important as contemporary literature for German cultural studiesGerman cultural studies

Possibly important for geographical Possibly important for geographical studies, environmentalism, and mountain studies, environmentalism, and mountain studiesstudies

The Move to Strategic PlanningThe Move to Strategic Planning

How do we decide whether a book should How do we decide whether a book should be acquired for a large academic library’s be acquired for a large academic library’s collections? collections?

What criteria do we generally use in What criteria do we generally use in making this decision?making this decision?

These questions at the “micro” level of reflecting on how we decide to acquire particular books inexorably leads toquestions at a more macro level…

Fundamental Questions Fundamental Questions

Why do we collect? Why do we collect?

Who uses our collections?Who uses our collections?

What is the purpose of a research library?What is the purpose of a research library?

Individual decisions should as much as possible be informedby the larger goals and mission of the department and, ultimately, the library.

Individual decisions should always be made in the contextof the larger whole.

Effective strategic planning requires a constant interaction Effective strategic planning requires a constant interaction between the ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ levels of an organization’s between the ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ levels of an organization’s

mission and goals.mission and goals.

HCL Mission StatementThe Harvard College Library supports the teaching and research activities of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the University. Beyond

this primary responsibility, the Library serves, to the extent feasible, the larger scholarly community. The Library acquires, organizes, preserves, and makes readily available collections of scholarly materials in all media and formats. The Library fulfills its mission by providing intellectual access to materials and information available at the University and elsewhere, by providing assistance and training in the location and use of these materials, and by providing facilities and services for research and study.

What does the mission statement mean for German collection development?

“The Library collects, in the original language of publication as well as selected translations, every significant edition of a vast array of intellectual, political, and social figures as well as creative artists of all kinds. The goal is to acquire what the library staff believes will be of interest to scholars today as well as 50 and 100 years from today. For this reason, the research collections are never weeded, and the approach to preservation is cautious…”

Collection Development Statement Collection Development Statement of Intent (1980s)of Intent (1980s)

“The Library collects history in great depth, including local histories, for which we have some unique collections in the US, and non-scholarly titles, if these help document historical events…We collect not only the history of events (political, military, social history), but also histories of numerous individual subject fields, such as the histories of language, philosophy, etc.

We collect comprehensively works of all literatures and in nearly all languages… We collect in all literary genres, works of minor writers, as well as the major ones, and literary criticism about all literatures…”

For German collection development For German collection development this means…this means…

Serving the scholarly needs of the faculty, Serving the scholarly needs of the faculty, staff, and students of the Universitystaff, and students of the University

The Library collects The Library collects comprehensively comprehensively in in all literatures and languagesall literatures and languages

With the importance of German as a With the importance of German as a scholarly language in Harvard’s past, this scholarly language in Harvard’s past, this provides the German selector with a great provides the German selector with a great deal of discretionary flexibility in shaping deal of discretionary flexibility in shaping Widener’s collections.Widener’s collections.

These conditions form the basis for strategic planning, they shape the parameters by which a structuredcollection development plan for German can be built.

A formal strategic plan for German collection development in Widener is important at this time for several reasons:• Explosive growth of scholarship in non-book formats• Development of online dissemination of research, including the humanities • Ongoing expansion of the German publishing industry• Rapid changes taking place in the organization and access to library literature

Working AssumptionsWorking AssumptionsA library’s collections represent a highly dynamic, active A library’s collections represent a highly dynamic, active body of material. The collections constantly move body of material. The collections constantly move (circulation, moving shelves and housing, etc.) and they are (circulation, moving shelves and housing, etc.) and they are acted upon in a number of ways. A library is *not* a storage acted upon in a number of ways. A library is *not* a storage house of books.house of books.No library that exists today can be comprehensive and No library that exists today can be comprehensive and universal in its collecting. The largest libraries in the world universal in its collecting. The largest libraries in the world collect a relatively small percentage of what is available collect a relatively small percentage of what is available A library has limited resources in relation to its mission. A library has limited resources in relation to its mission. These resources must be managed strategically using well-These resources must be managed strategically using well-designed methods.designed methods.

Working Assumptions (2)Working Assumptions (2)

A library’s primary mission is not the A library’s primary mission is not the possession of materials per se, but possession of materials per se, but rather the intelligently structured rather the intelligently structured organization and provision of access to organization and provision of access to its collections. Access and a carefully its collections. Access and a carefully defined body of material are what a defined body of material are what a library creates and offers as its primary library creates and offers as its primary service, not simply the purchase of service, not simply the purchase of books.books.

This implies a return to the foundationalThis implies a return to the foundationalprinciples of principles of

the research library as exemplified in the research library as exemplified in GGöttingen.öttingen.

Working Assumptions (3)Working Assumptions (3)

The fundamental relationship between a country’s ‘bibliography’, The fundamental relationship between a country’s ‘bibliography’, the deliberate selection and acquisition of materials from this the deliberate selection and acquisition of materials from this bibliography, and the methodical organization and provision bibliography, and the methodical organization and provision of access to this material requires that a bibliographer coordinate of access to this material requires that a bibliographer coordinate and work in a close relationship with all the other working units in and work in a close relationship with all the other working units in a library. The bibliographer needs to communicate collecting a library. The bibliographer needs to communicate collecting strategies and key decisions to other units, and he/she must play strategies and key decisions to other units, and he/she must play an important role in organizing the means by which these materials an important role in organizing the means by which these materials are made available.are made available.

A bibliographer is therefore primarily a manager, a steward, and a coordinator.

Environmental Factors Environmental Factors Influencing German Influencing German

Collection DevelopmentCollection Development

The Continuing Transformation of The Continuing Transformation of the Academic Research Librarythe Academic Research Library

How does this…How does this…

Relate to…Relate to…

In a similar manner, how do these In a similar manner, how do these booksbooks……

How does the ongoing move to a digital environment changethe nature of scholarly communication?

How do the underlying assumptions that structure our image of Widener change as the Google era continuesto impact research and scholarship?

Relate to…Relate to…

An example of scholarly An example of scholarly activityactivity

Goethe and the Natural Goethe and the Natural SciencesSciences

Traditional ScholarshipTraditional Scholarship

Working familiarity of primary Working familiarity of primary monographs in the subjectmonographs in the subject Ongoing development of personal Ongoing development of personal bibliography using:bibliography using: CitationsCitations FootnotesFootnotes Major bibliographies and subject catalogsMajor bibliographies and subject catalogs ReviewsReviews Colleagues recommendationsColleagues recommendations Etc.Etc.

In remaining within a traditional In remaining within a traditional context, however, we miss…context, however, we miss…

The Changing Nature of Scholarly The Changing Nature of Scholarly CommunicationCommunication

The referencing apparatus of books and The referencing apparatus of books and print serials is largely print serials is largely static. static.

The containers, or the books themselves, The containers, or the books themselves, play a formative role in how I structure my play a formative role in how I structure my research questions. These questions are research questions. These questions are framed around works as represented in framed around works as represented in books, and around authors.books, and around authors.

The Continuing Shift Toward The Continuing Shift Toward Access Access

In the online environment research In the online environment research becomes much more dynamic and becomes much more dynamic and interactive. interactive.

The focus is less on containers and The focus is less on containers and works, and more on the concepts and works, and more on the concepts and ideas themselves.ideas themselves.

The German The German Bibliographic UniverseBibliographic Universe

The German publishing industry The German publishing industry largely parallels that of the largely parallels that of the

American or British publishing in American or British publishing in size, quality, scope, and social size, quality, scope, and social

importanceimportance

The German publishing industryAs a nation of readers, Germany has built a well-developed publishing industry with a long and rich tradition.

Since the 1960s the situation has changed dramatically for the German publishing industry. The highly rationalized nature of the publishing industry, coupled with a sustained demand for the printed word by an educated reading public, has led to exponential growth of commercially sold books in a countless number of fields and formats. German publishers are very resourceful in developing new markets and increasing the quality and design of printed books and materials in other formats. The sheer numbers of the books of this nature published in Germany annually must be emphasized in order to understand the challenges for German collection development.

German Scholarly ResearchGerman Scholarly Research

German has been a primary language of German has been a primary language of scholarship since the 19scholarship since the 19thth century. century.

German research and scholarship has thrived German research and scholarship has thrived and expanded exponentially since the middle of and expanded exponentially since the middle of the 20the 20thth century. German research plays a century. German research plays a leading role globally in a number of fields.leading role globally in a number of fields.

German scholarship has embraced the Internet German scholarship has embraced the Internet revolution, and countless thousands of revolution, and countless thousands of resources of high research value exist now on resources of high research value exist now on the Internet.the Internet.

The Scholars Who Make Use of The Scholars Who Make Use of Harvard’s German CollectionsHarvard’s German Collections

German at HarvardGerman at Harvard

By the end of the 19By the end of the 19thth century, German had risen century, German had risen to become the preeminent language of to become the preeminent language of scholarship in the natural sciences, the scholarship in the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences.humanities, and the social sciences.

At Harvard, as at other major universities in the At Harvard, as at other major universities in the US, knowledge of German increasingly became US, knowledge of German increasingly became valued in the acquisition of knowledge and for valued in the acquisition of knowledge and for research in a variety of disciplines.research in a variety of disciplines.

Combining German Combining German Bibliography With the Bibliography With the

Harvard Scholarly Harvard Scholarly CommunityCommunity

A Possible Collection A Possible Collection Typology for Harvard’s Typology for Harvard’s Germanic CollectionsGermanic Collections

German Studies: Core DisciplinesGerman Studies: Core Disciplines

LiteratureLiterature LinguisticsLinguistics HistoryHistory Political SciencePolitical Science PhilosophyPhilosophy ClassicsClassics History of ArtHistory of Art MusicMusic Architecture/DesignArchitecture/Design

German Social and Cultural German Social and Cultural StudiesStudies

Current eventsCurrent events

Major entertainment (television, film, Major entertainment (television, film, popular music)popular music)

“ “Migration” literatureMigration” literature

Important studies on social phenomena Important studies on social phenomena (gender studies, employment and work (gender studies, employment and work studies, etc.)studies, etc.)

EducationEducation

Secondary German-Language Secondary German-Language LiteratureLiterature

Lesser scholarly literatureLesser scholarly literature

Biographies of popular figuresBiographies of popular figures

BestsellersBestsellers

Popular cultural studies (e.g., books Popular cultural studies (e.g., books similar to The Tipping Point)similar to The Tipping Point)

Books on particular social fashionsBooks on particular social fashions

General Academic ResearchGeneral Academic Research

Ethnic- and country-specific studiesEthnic- and country-specific studies AfricaAfrica EducationEducation General historyGeneral history Literary studies of other culturesLiterary studies of other cultures EconomicsEconomics Gender studiesGender studies Technology and societyTechnology and society AnthropologyAnthropology

Books on the USA, English Books on the USA, English literature and languageliterature and language

Scholarly monographs on American Scholarly monographs on American politics, society, and culturepolitics, society, and culture Popular books on topics relating to Popular books on topics relating to American society and cultureAmerican society and culture Scholarly studies on American and Scholarly studies on American and English literatureEnglish literature Linguistic studies relating to EnglishLinguistic studies relating to English Scholarly studies on terrorism and Scholarly studies on terrorism and international relationsinternational relations

““Heimat” Literature and Local Heimat” Literature and Local HistoryHistory

History of local institutionsHistory of local institutions

MuseumsMuseums

SchoolsSchools

Local and regional historiesLocal and regional histories

Local folklore, legends, and storiesLocal folklore, legends, and stories

Family historiesFamily histories

Popular literature (Source Material)Popular literature (Source Material)

Dime store novels, science fiction, fantasy, etc.Dime store novels, science fiction, fantasy, etc.

SportsSports

Popular public figuresPopular public figures

Popular technologyPopular technology

Advice and ‘how-to’ booksAdvice and ‘how-to’ books

Popular psychologyPopular psychology

Travel guidesTravel guides

Hobbies, pets, cooking, etc.Hobbies, pets, cooking, etc.

The Infrastructure and Support The Infrastructure and Support of Harvard’s German of Harvard’s German

CollectionsCollections

Though often heard, one cannot emphasize enough the administrative importance of integrally linking book selection, or collection development, with organization and access, or technical services activities. The $20 it may cost to purchase a book on a popular topic or a local history only begins the succession of costs for Harvard to make this book available for long-term use. Depending on the estimates one wishes to cite, processing this book will cost another $60 to $80, with long-term storage adding another notable amount in staff and material resources.