I recently discovered this group and this thread - happy to have found it! As I noted in the introductions, I am working out a collection assessment program for our library, with the scope limited to books and journals (both E and P) for now.
A couple of questions that have always come to the fore have been "what gets used most in this subject area" and related "where are we strong/weak" -- that is to say "do we have enough resources to support our anthropology minor"?
Much of the literature I read note that using a conspectus is problematic and difficult, and I can already see that this is true, based on what I can see from the one created by OCLC for WMS (which is our ILS). If I am trying to assess what materials are used for Adventure Education (which happens to be one of our majors) - I am stymied. There isn't really a classification or subject heading that represents this interdisciplinary major.
My question is - does anyone have experience assessing for an interdisciplinary subject such as this - and do you have any advice for me? I am wondering if I am approaching this from the wrong direction - perhaps I should simply look at what is used overall, and what patterns emerge - but I'm just not sure.
Thank you!
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Alice Pearman, She/Her/Hers
Collection Management Librarian
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, NH
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