Cataloging Procedures Manual

Appendix 9: Statistics
Part A: Size of Collection

*** Caveat: These instructions have not been updated to coincide with the most recent changes in the counting of Size of Collections statistics. Appendix 9 will be revised in the near future.

Contents:

1. All Forms

2. Print Cataloging/Maintenance

3. Non-Print Materials

General Information:

Size of Collection statistics are part of a package of statistics which are reported to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). They are also reported to State Council on Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) and other bodies. Collection statistics are frequently used to compare libraries. Trends in statistics can be used to justify budget requests for staffing and collections. For an interactive look at ARL statistics see:

Statistics should be reported monthly, using the forms provided on the Cataloging website. Forms available in adobe and excel formats.

Please report a total number for each category (rather than "tick"marks), and total each column. Completed forms should be sent by the 10th of the following month to Teresa Brown, Cataloging Services Dept. Alderman Library.

Note that these forms are reporting forms; staff are not required to use these forms for counting.

1. All Forms:
   1. Name: Name of Cataloger (in Cataloging Services Dept.) or of Contact Person followed by name of department/library for those outside the Cataloging Services Dept.

   2. Month/year

   3. Supervisor: Only Catalogers (in Cataloging Services Dept.) need to report this.

2. Monthly Size of Collections Statistics - Print Cataloging/Maintenance:

   Be sure to record the numbers in the row for the correct location.

   1. New Titles:

      Count each new title cataloged, including items which receive brief records or minimal cataloging if they are considered a permanent part of the collection and the cataloging is complete. For items bound together (i.e., bound-withs), count each title separately. For serials, count each title change. Include analytics.

   2. Copies:

      1. For new cataloging: count the first piece in the New Title column and count other pieces in the Copies column.

      2. For adds: count in Copies column under appropriate location. (If added title is published in multi-parts, add additional volumes in the Volumes column under the appropriate location).

   3. Volumes:

      1. For new cataloging: count the first volume in New Title column. Count the remaining pieces in the Volumes column.

      2. For adds: When adding volumes to an existing record, count as Volumes under appropriate location.

      3. The volume count is for physical volumes, not intellectual volumes.

         Examples:
         

         12 issues of a periodical bound as one volume counts as one
         1 year of a periodical bound in 3 parts counts as three
         Individual periodical issues are not counted as volumes
         Individual fascicles are not counted as volumes until bound

         Exceptions for Serials:

         1. Periodicals: The first time a periodical is cataloged, it is counted as "1" new title. When the first bound volume is recorded, it is NOT counted since it was counted when first issue was cataloged.

         2. Serials: Volumes are counted when they are added to the record. If the location later binds several volumes together, subtract volumes from count.

         3. When only "Current XX years or XX volumes only" are held, the volumes are added when they are sent to the library, and subtracted by the library when withdrawn.

   4. Transfers (labeled as "tran from" and "tran to")

      This is a count of volumes transferred, not titles.

      When totaling for the month, the "transfer from" and "transfer to" columns must have the same total.

      1. Science libraries: the receiving library counts both "transfer from" and "transfer to".

      2. Other libraries: the sending library counts both "transfer from" and "transfer to".

      3. Ivy: The sending library counts both "transfer from" and "transfer to". Ivy transfers are counted in the size of collection so that the sending library retains "ownership", even though the physical volumes are housed in Ivy.
         
         
      4. Darden: Darden transfers should be counted as "adds" and "withdrawals." The Darden transfer boxes are grayed-out on the statistics sheet to deter usage.

       

   5. Withdrawn:

      This is a count of volumes withdrawn (pieces in hand) not titles.

      1. Clemons and Music: send monthly count to Cataloging Services

      2. Other libraries: counted in Cataloging Services

   6. Lost:

      This is a count of volumes lost (no pieces in hand), not titles.

      Counted in Cataloging Services

3. Monthly Size of Collections Statistics - Non-Print Materials:

   The following instructions apply for all formats except Remote Access Computer Files (Web)

   1. New Titles:

      Count each new title cataloged in the appropriate category, including items which receive brief records or minimal cataloging if they are considered a permanent part of the collection and the cataloging is complete. For items issued together (i.e. on the same microfilm reel, same CD-ROM, etc.), count each title separately. For serials, count each title change.

   2. Total Pieces:

      In contrast to print counts, the number of New Titles is included in the Total Pieces count, under the appropriate category. For example, for non-print materials, 5 pieces are counted as 1 New Title and 5 pieces in the Total Pieces count. (For added pieces, no count is made in the New Title count.) Added pieces are counted in the Total Piece count, regardless whether they are added "volumes" or "copies."

   3. Withdrawn or lost non-print media:

      1. There are no separate columns for these items.

      2. Report the count for lost or withdrawn non-print materials as a negative number in the piece count under the appropriate category; it is not necessary to differentiate between lost and withdrawn.

      3. If there are both added and withdrawn materials from the same category, show both counts separately; do not merely subtract the withdrawn from the added for one number.

      4. Withdrawn or lost non-print material should never be counted on the print statistics sheet.

      5. In the rare cases when media is transferred from one library to another, please attach a special note with the number of pieces transferred and the counts for both libraries will be updated accordingly.

   4. Computer files:

      There are two major types of computer files: direct access which is any computer file which is a physical piece: CD-ROM, floppy disk, etc., and remote access (web or internet materials) which are not physical pieces. There are separate tables for direct and remote access computer files since a piece count for direct access is needed, and a piece count for remote access is not needed.

   5. Remote Access Computer Files (Web):

      Remote access computer files are web and internet materials which are made available through records in VIRGO. A distinction is made between local and non-local, since ARL currently allows reporting only locally-maintained computer files in the count of cataloged computer files (an e-text on a va.edu server is an example of a local, remote access computer file). For the cataloging count, there is no difference between paid and free non-local web materials. The following pertains to the appropriate columns for both the Web-local and Web-Non-Local materials:

      1. Title: count here only web materials for which a separate record was used. Catalogers also count on their individual monthly cataloging statistics sheets.

      2. Added URLs, etc.: count here titles for which access was added to the print or other format record [such as video record]; in addition to the 856 field, can include adding such elements as 530 note, 653 field for e-journals, creating calls, and creating holdings records. When deleting URLs, count as a negative number (see Withdrawn or lost non-print media instructions). Cataloger also counts as Added URLs, etc., when the print [video, etc.] and web versions are cataloged simultaneously on the same record (in addition to counting on the print, etc. form). if several URLs are on the record (such as for a video clip and for a transcript from the same website) count as only one URL. Catalogers do not repeat "Added URL" counts on their individual monthly cataloging statistics sheets.

   6. Contact information:

      For experts in various special areas, see the Cataloging Contact List

      rev. 02/21/01

    

Table of Contents

Appendix 9B - under construction

Appendix 10