ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 154 / C Ö R L N ew s The Collection Use Survey: The Purdue University Calumet Experience B ernard H. H olicky D irector o f L ib ra ry Services Purdue University Calum et H am m on d, Indiana In 1977 it becam e apparent th at collection m an­ agement data w ere needed at Purdue University Calum et. T h e library had 1,224 current periodical subscriptions and its collection was approaching 1 5 0 .0 0 0 p h y sica l volu m es w ith an a d d itio n a l 3 0 0 .0 0 0 m icroform units. T h e library’s annual op­ erating budget was approximately $6 0 0 ,0 0 0 . T h e m anagem ent data were needed as evidence to convince the campus’ sixteen academ ic depart­ ments th a t periodicals w ere not being used and that funds would be better used if m ore books and fewer periodical subscriptions were purchased. T h e first step was to measure the library use of bound and unbound periodicals th a t w ere p u r­ chased by the academ ic departments. It was de­ cided to record the library use of each bound or un­ bound periodical gathered in daily pickups for a tw o-day period each fall and spring semester. D ur­ ing the nine tw o-day surveys taken between 1978 and 1982, 2 ,4 9 5 uses were logged. Although 404 different titles w ere used, only 2 6 0 w ere used more th an once. T h e data clearly indicated th at the peri­ odicals being purchased by the departments did not receive high library use. T h e oft proclaim ed com m ent, “I don’t check them out but only use them in the lib ra ry ,” just was not true. Phase T w o o f the survey took place in the sum­ m er of 1981. T h e home use of bound periodicals was measured. Based on a population of 4 0 ,0 0 0 , a random sample of 420 volumes representing 291 ti­ tles was taken. T h e results showed an average c ir­ culation per volume o f 1.3 . However, o f the 74 ti­ tles in the sam ple, 6 3 % o f the titles were never checked out for home use. C learly the data indi­ cated th at the bound journals w ere not receiving heavy home use. T h e third step of the use survey was m ade during th e sum m er o f 1982. Based on a population of 7 9 .0 0 0 monographs, 1 ,0 0 0 volumes w ere sampled. T h e average circulation since 1973 or the date of acquisition (if later) was 3 .1 . O f the books sam ­ pled, 198 or 2 9 .8 % never circulated. Thus the data showed th a t 7 0 .2 % o f the volumes in the m ono­ graph collection circulated at least once. T h e evi­ dence clearly contradicted the view of the faculty th a t periodicals are m ore im portant and should re­ ceive higher priority than books. T h e idea of replicating the University of P itts­ burgh use study on a sm aller scale did not seem fea­ sib le.1 R ath er than track acquisitions over a five- year period, as was done in the Pittsburgh study, a simple sam pling technique was used. E a ch library shelf on the library m ap was given a sequential num ber. This was easy to do since with few excep­ tions the bound periodical area had six shelves per section and the monograph area had seven shelves per section. Thus, blocks o f numbers could be as­ signed to each row o f ranges on the m ap without physically num bering the shelves. T h e last step of sam pling procedure required go­ ing physically to the stacks. T h e volumes on the sample shelf w ere counted and sequentially num ­ bered ping pong balls equaling the total num ber of volumes on a shelf were placed in a box. Counting from the left, the volume sampled corresponded to the num ber on the ball pulled from the box. T he use data w ere recorded from the book card in the book pocket onto separate 4x6 index cards. I t is estimated th a t the three surveys consumed 3 0 0 hours o f staff tim e. Most of the work was done by regular employees, thus no additional staff was required except for an additional $300 in student wages. Considering th a t $ 1 9 6 ,0 0 0 is the current annual expenditure for library m aterials, the sur­ veys were a small investment in tim e and money to find out how the m aterials being purchased were actually used. Since the methodologies o f collecting the library use and home statistics w ere different, all the data do not coalesce. T h e results nonetheless gave the li­ brary hard collection use d ata, demonstrated that less should be spent on periodicals and m ore on books, and is now being used to guide the collec­ tion’s growth. Sta tistica l sum m ary sheets o f th e studies are available upon request. F o r further inform ation, please w rite to Bernard H. Holicky, L ib ra ry , Pur­ due University C alum et, Ham m ond, IN 46323; (219) 8 4 4 -0 5 2 0 , ext. 249. ■ ■ 1 Allen K ent, et a l., Use o f L ibrary M aterials: T he University o f Pittsburgh Study (New York: M arcel D eker, 1979). See also Thom as J . G alvin & Allen K ent, “Use of a University L ib rary C ollec­ t i o n , ” L ib r a r y J o u r n a l 1 0 7 (N o v em b er 15 , 1 9 7 7 ):2 3 1 7 -2 0 .