Use Studies of Library Collections

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Use studies of library collections have been conducted as a method of evaluating collections in a library. The main purpose of use studies is to evaluate the quality of a library collection in terms of extent and mode of its use. In addition to use studies, both quantitative and qualitative methods could be utilized in order to evaluate a library collection. However, the quantitative and qualitative collection evaluation methods are more concerned with the collection itself than with its use. Use studies have been conducted in large academic libraries for the following specific purposes: 1) They attempt to identify little used portion of collections that can be retired less accessible and less expensive storage area. 2) They try to identify core collections to satisfy some degree of circulation demands in the near future. 3) They try to identify use patterns of selected subject areas or type of books that can be used to adjusting collection development practices or fund allocations. 4) They try to assess the document delivery capability of a library to improve their availability. A number of methodologies employed for these specific purposes fall into four major categories; 1) circulation analysis method, 2) last circulation method, 3) relative use method, and 4) document delivery test. Each method is briefly reviewed with its limitations.