Making a Collection Count, 2nd Edition

3

Collection metrics

Abstract:

Collection metrics is about measuring a library collection. Common metrics in libraries include circulation, collection age, and collection use. This chapter looks at accuracy and error rates of catalog records in integrated library systems, and using a statistical sample to audit the collection.

Key words

metrics

measurement

data

circulation

collection activity

integrated library

system

accuracy

confidence interval

collection age

collection use

Now that we have an understanding of how materials flow through a library, we can discuss measuring that flow. A metric is a system or standard of measurement. In a later chapter we will talk about statistics, which are facts surmised by analyzing metrics. In other ...