This document summarizes the growing challenges of managing library collections and resources at Nottingham Trent University. It discusses how the university has introduced new tracking systems and reporting tools using their Talis resource list management system to improve integration between resource lists and acquisitions systems. Specific challenges addressed through Talis data and reports include acquiring correct resources, managing serials reviews, and responding to publisher package changes. The university has also combined Talis and library management system data for annual stock reviews, identifying missing/damaged items, and evidence-based acquisitions. Future plans include using loans/reservation data with the resource list flag to develop more responsive acquisition formulas.

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Helen Adey,
Resource Acquisitions and Supply Team Manager
Nottingham Trent University
Collections change and lists
evolve: the growing challenges of
responsive resource management

2. Abstract
Since Nottingham Trent University spoke about the challenges of
collection management in library workflows centred on resource lists
at the 2013 Talis Aspire User Group meeting, the issues have become
even more complex. The library has introduced a range of new
measures, tracking systems and reporting tools in response, all
focused on making back-of-houses process ‘resource list aware’. In an
increasingly heterogeneous acquisitions and fulfilment landscape (and
in a post-Swets world a less predictable one) what steps can libraries
take to improve the integration between their resource list
environment and their library's management and acquisitions
systems?
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3. Content
1. Responsive Resource & Collection Management – a view
from the NSS
2. Collection challenges where TALIS data & reports help
 Acquiring the correct resources
 Serials reviews
 Aggregator packages, journal transfers & publisher package changes -
post Swets
3. Collection challenges requiring combined TALIS and LMS
data
 Annual stock reviews and bulk stock withdrawals
 Missing, damaged and lost items
 Evidence based acquisition
4. Future Developments
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4. View from the NSS: “The library resources and
services are good enough for my needs”
• NTU Results vs. the Sector: at 87% NTU is 22% above the lowest university score at 65%
(University of Worcester). University of Oxford is at the top with 98%
• NTU Results vs. Key Competitors:
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Looking at the NTU score for
this question since
2007….shows a mixed trend,
but some big improvements
since 2011:
2007 – 81%
2008 – 84%
2009 – 82%
2010 – 79%
2011 – 75%
2012 – 81%
2013 - 87%
Competitor 2013
Sheffield 94%
Leicester 91%
Manchester 91%
Loughborough 90%
Sheffield Hallam 89%
UWE 89%
Northumbria 88%
Nottingham 88%
Leeds Met 87%
NTU 87%
Derby 87%
De Montfort 85%
Manchester Met 84%
Birmingham City 82%
Lincoln 81%
Oxford Brookes 79%

5. Collection challenges
where TALIS data & reports
help (Books)
• Confidence that we are acquiring the correct resources
– Academic submitting a list for review tells us all we need to know:
What are they recommending and what priority status
– Link to student module and size of cohort facilitates acquisition by
formula - simplifies and streamlines our workflows
• We used the “Books not linked to library catalogue” report, before
and after running the Book Metadata Refresh job to assess the
impact of running the job & to see how many records had changed.
• We subsequently used the 2nd report (e.g. the books still not linked
to that catalogue even after we’d run the job) to act as a hit list for
acquisitions team to work through.
• Interim measure whilst we wait for new Review processes…….
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8. Collection challenges where TALIS data
& reports help (Journals)
• Serials reviews - how many
of those “must have” journals
are on Resource Lists?
• Aggregator packages, journal
transfers & publisher package
changes - post Swets & the
loss of FYI updates
• If we cannot afford to
subscribe to overlapping
databases - which do we
cancel?
– Increasingly we are using the
All Items on Resource Lists
report (filtered by Journals) as a
check
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9. How do we know if an item is on a
Resource List?
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10. Collection challenges
requiring combined TALIS
and LMS data / reports
• Increasing need for data to support proactive
collection and resource decision making rather
than reactive checking after the event
• Identified the need to combine RLMS data from
Talis with data & reports from our LMS
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• NTU paid for Talis consultancy time to produce regular updates of
resources on lists that can be uploaded into Aleph catalogue records
• Enriched data has been invaluable and is being used for many
purposes, such as:
 All Aleph low use reports pre-screened to exclude RLMS items
 Informs stock revision / withdrawal activities
 Enhanced workflows for dealing with missing / books on account

11. MARC record showing RLMS flag
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12. Sample Aleph report showing RLMS flag
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13. Missing, damaged and lost items
• Do we need to replace?
• How do we know if it’s on a resource list?
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14. Evidence Based Acquisitions
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• As with PDA, RLMS has an impact on EBA
items
• We will need to do a refresh of Aleph
RLMS data before making decisions on
what to buy at the end of the plan

15. Future Developments -
Where next?
• Plan to use combination of aleph loans / reservation data &
RLMS flag to test effectiveness of our acquisition formula -
hope to develop far more responsive formulae
• Plans for more RLMS data in Aleph - which modules / how
many lists
• Have already started analysing items in high demand for RLMS
flag as possible evidence of shortcomings in the formula
• Ability to give book suppliers RLMS report to do check of e-
availability and new editions - could make acquisitions
workflows much quicker, more efficient & responsive.
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16. •Any Questions / comments?
helen.adey@ntu.ac.uk
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