As we build our library collection, collection analysis projects help our department maintain focus on and center our user community. In the collection diversity practicum project we research user needs for diverse resources, and asses how our collection meets those needs. As a practicum project, it also serves the broader librarian community by providing emerging librarians hands on experience in collection building, user research, and collection analysis.
This project is experimental and seeks to explore ways to assess the library collection for diversity. In the library collection, diverse resources allow users to find new perspectives. Practicum students will select a tightly scoped section of the collection and research diversity in that context, conduct an analysis, make actionable recommendations, and share the results in order to add to our collective understanding.
Throughout all of this, the student will meet with librarians and library users to gather context about the collection, and learn how collections are built and used.
About Sarah Holsapple Sarah Holsapple is the Collection Analysis Librarian at Duke University Libraries. She collaborates with colleagues to gather and interpret data, informing the development and management of library collections.
