1. Collection Development
as a Social Process
By Hur-Li Lee

2. Goal: To understand collection
development as a social process
Introduction
WHY?

3. Social
Cultural
Influences on Collection
Development as a Process
Few studies have examined how these
factors affect the collecting process and
shape of collection

4. Historical Case Study
• 1970 - mid 1990s
• Academic library system of public research
university, East coast U.S.A.
Women's College & Women's
Studies Collection Development
Method

5. Triangulation

6. 3 Sources of Data

7. Data Analysis
Chronology of events related to 4
categories:
American society
The university
The university Library system
Women's Studies at the university

8. • women's studies is not recognized as a
separate field outside of traditional disciplines
• No research being done on feminist
perspectives
• Desire to change women's college library into
a women's studies research library
Background Brief
No Status or Recognition

9. First Wave of Tension: 1970s
Feminist vs. Non-Feminist Librarians

10. Non-Feminist Librarians
1. Patrons seek information based on discipline
and want discipline related tools that retrieve
sources specific to a discipline
OBJECTION!
2. Social Sciences do not want historical
material separated

11. 3. Not enough publishing outlet for women's
studies research
Publish or Perish

12. Feminist Librarians
substantial user needs for information by and about
women
Focused collection will help information seeking
Policy drafted....
Counter Attack
Access Denied!

13. Feminist Librarians
• Unite female scholars
• commitment from university to a field growing in
status
• Grants and Scholarships
• Global Think Tank
Second Wave of Tension: 1980s

14. Non-Feminist Librarians
Accept and acknowledge women's studies as a field
of its own (outside traditional disciplines)
Women's College given a research center within
their library
Second Wave of Tension: 1980s
Desire for prestige

15. What Influenced Collection
Development as a Process?

16. • Qualitative but can't generalize
• Collection development as a process with
multiple dimensions
• Unique because involved feminist politics
• Need for MORE research on advisory
roles in collection development
Conclusions

17. Lee, Hur-Li. "Collection Development as a Social
Process." The Journal of Academic Librarianship 29.1
(2003): 23-31. Web.
References

18. • Do you agree with creating a separate focused library for
women's studies and why? If yes, why are small focused
libraries important for patrons and their research needs?
• Can you think of any other interdisciplinary fields now that
may face the same obstacles when developing collections?
• Considering the fact that the librarians never asked patrons
what they wanted, do you think their opinions on
collections development were valid? If you were in their
shoes at the time, do you think it would have been vital to
address the patrons about the issue?
Discussion Questions