Reading the numbers: An assessment of DLSU Integrated School Libraries’ book collection and usage

• Main Authors: Schijf, Candy May N., Olivar, Julieta F., Bundalian, Jorge B.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Libraries—Circulation analysis; Library use studies; Collection Development and Management
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/9343
• Institution: De La Salle University

Using collection mapping and user-centered approach this paper attempts to answer the following questions: (1) Determine if the IS Libraries’ book collection meets the Philippine school standards set by the Board for Librarians (BFL) in terms of collection and growth rate for school library media centers. (2) Know the level of utilization of the IS Libraries’ book collection. (3) Identify the highly used LC classes and overused/underused LC classes in the IS Libraries’ book collection. Findings showed that the DLSU IS Libraries was able to meet the requirements of the Philippine Standard on School Library and Media Centers in terms of the total number of the collection but needs to update the collection in terms of books with publication date within the last 5 years. There is a need to improve the collection of the following subjects which are below the target growth rate set by the standard: philosophy, social sciences, applied sciences, geography, travel and biography, fines arts and recreation, history and the Filipiniana. The number of circulations for books proved to be high and the utilization is within the acceptable level having achieved the 55.75% or more than 20% from the 80/20 rule. There is a significant number of books with zero usage. There is a predominant subject area with the most number of checked-out books which are subjects under P-Language, Literature, and Fiction. Under sciences, Pure Sciences has the most number of checkouts. The subject areas with the highest number of titles with zero checkouts are Pure Sciences, Literature, and Fiction. Usage of books published from the past 20 years is high. The subject areas which are over- utilized are Fiction, literature and pure sciences while the subject areas which are underutilized are: Literature, Philosophy, and Languages.