NASIG 2024

This workshop is for library workers who want to get started on collection assessment, but who may not have the resources to launch large projects or programs. The workshop will guide participants through designing and acting on micro-assessment projects for library collections. A micro-assessment is a small collection assessment project aligned with your resources and your organizational priorities. It is tightly scoped and time-bound, designed to inform a specific collections decision or strategy. A thoughtfully designed micro-assessment can offer both actionable insights into your collections and valuable learning opportunities for library staff interested in collections work.  
Through instructor-provided case studies and other exercises, workshop participants will practice (1) identifying narrowly focused, action-oriented collection micro-assessment projects; (2) scoping those micro-projects to align with available staff time and expertise; and (3) using small, manageable amounts of data to speak directly to a decision or action. Along the way, participants will learn practical tips for ensuring micro-assessments can also become the building blocks for a larger collection assessment program.
Workshop activities will include examples of micro-assessments for monograph, journal, and database collections. As a final activity, participants will draft a micro-assessment proposal for their own institutions.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own laptops or other devices.

Program Description:
What happens when a large R1 university migrates from one library services platform to another, reorganizes duties, and loses seasoned faculty and staff members due to attrition and retirement? A perfect opportunity for a new Continuing Resources Librarian and newly formed Acquisitions Team to evaluate serial orders in the framework of the NASIG Core Competencies for Print Serials Management.
The fever pitched fire: Clemson University Libraries migrated from Millennium to Alma during the very early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over the course of several reorganizations, we lost personnel who focused solely on ordering and receiving continuing resources, and many order records were incorrectly entered on records reflecting incorrect type (electronic on print and vice versa). This was the perfect storm that allowed the Acquisitions Team to intentionally choose not to roll any continuing resources order over into the new fiscal year.
Bringing us out of the dark? Intentionally choosing not to roll over continuing resources orders is bringing us out of the dark. We are on the road to correct orders leading to increased discoverability for our patrons and more correct records for tracking our finances and received items. This interactive section will provide plenty of examples of incorrect orders and how Clemson University Libraries has wrestled with some of the complexities of continuing resources, including memberships, monographic series, and physical subscriptions. While this session does focus on an Alma library, there is universal appeal for libraries wishing to clean up their data for increased patron discoverability and correct record keeping.
 We Can (and Will) have it all! The intentional decision to not roll over any of the continuing resource orders, while daunting at first, has led us to be more in tune with the NASIG Core Competencies for Print Serials Management. This has allowed us to create unified departmental policies about ordering, receiving, and cataloging print serials. Our ability to have it all is easily translatable to other libraries, and this section will cover best practices of serials acquisition in the scope of the NASIG Core Competencies for Print Serials Management. Interactive and lively discussion is encouraged during this entire session.
Learning Outcomes:
Learners will be able to articulate the reasons why they might actively choose not to roll over Continuing Resources and other standing orders.
Learners will be able to determine how and why to clean up incorrect order data and bibliographic records.
 Learners will be able to discuss best practices of print serials acquisition in accordance with the NASIG Core Competencies for Print Serials Management.