Information Resources & Collection Management Flashcards
7 cards from real MLS - Master of Library and Information Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Information Resources & Collection Management flashcards as text
Which collection assessment method uses standardized lists of core titles in a discipline to evaluate a library's holdings?
Answer: Checklist method
The checklist method compares a library's holdings against authoritative bibliographies or recommended title lists to identify gaps.
A public library serves a community with a growing Spanish-speaking population. According to collection development best practices, what should be the library's response?
Answer: Develop a Spanish-language collection that reflects community needs and interests
Collection development best practices require libraries to build collections that reflect and serve the actual demographics and interests of their communities.
What is the primary purpose of a 'materials budget allocation formula' in academic libraries?
Answer: To distribute the acquisitions budget across departments based on objective criteria
Budget allocation formulas use data such as enrollment, credit hours, and collection use to distribute acquisitions funds equitably across academic departments.
Which element distinguishes a 'standing order' from a standard one-time purchase in library acquisitions?
Answer: Standing orders automatically supply each new volume or edition as it is published
A standing order is an arrangement to automatically receive and pay for each new issue or edition of a serial or continuation as it is published.
When a library deselects materials using the MUSTIE criteria, what does the letter 'U' represent?
Answer: Unworthy of retention due to poor quality
In the MUSTIE model, 'U' stands for 'Unworthy' — material that is trivial, of no discernible literary or scientific merit, or otherwise not suitable for the collection.
A library is negotiating a Big Deal journal package. What is the primary criticism of Big Deal agreements from a collection development perspective?
Answer: They reduce local selection control and lock libraries into bundled titles they may not need
Big Deal packages bundle hundreds or thousands of journals together, forcing libraries to pay for many titles with low or no usage and reducing their ability to select individually.
In collection management, what is meant by the 'last copy' problem in cooperative collection development?
Answer: The challenge of ensuring that at least one library in a region retains a unique or rare item before it is discarded
The 'last copy' problem arises when multiple libraries simultaneously consider withdrawing the same title, risking permanent loss of access to that work.