Call for WEST Archiving, Deselection, and Lending Statistics for Cycle 8 (2018/2019)
Every year WEST asks member institutions to report information about various programmatic activities, including archiving for WEST, lending of WEST archived materials, and deselection of journals from local collections. This year we’re using a slightly different approach from previous years: instead of distributing Excel files that are filled out individually and then combined by CDL staff, the WEST project team is using a combination of Google Sheets and Google Forms.
WEST Archiving Totals: These statistics will still be entered into a spreadsheet, though this year a Google Sheet will be distributed rather than an Excel file. Statistics for Bronze (both committed and actual archiving activity) have already been populated, but please review actual totals against your own records and correct as necessary. If you have no corrections to make, please fill in the Reporter Information so we know that you have reviewed the information and are signing off on the statistics we have entered. Information on Silver and Gold commitments as well as actual archived journal families and titles have already been entered, but actual archived volumes are left to the individual institutions to enter.
New for this Cycle: We are collecting statistics on all volumes archived in all Archive Types for all Cycles, where a “volume” is a bound physical item. If you are able to produce this statistic, please enter it in the appropriate row in Column H. Local practices may vary for how volumes are designated as being part of the WEST archive, but some common practices include using WEST-specific physical item locations, associating physical items with a second shared print OCLC symbol, or using WEST-specific item policies or loan rules for archived materials. Even if you did not archive materials during Cycles 8&9 we would be extremely appreciative to receive your institution’s total count of WEST archived volumes. If you are a past member who retains volumes on behalf of WEST we would be similarly grateful to receive your institution’s total count of WEST archived volumes.
WEST Lending Statistics: These statistics will be gathered via a Google Form, and include requests fulfilled by borrower type, by archive type, and by delivery method, as well as recalls, volumes lost and replaced or not replaced, and volumes damaged and replaced or not replaced. We are also asking for information about what OCLC symbol(s) your institutions uses to loan shared print materials, which we plan on using to inform our ongoing assessment of WEST’s use of the second symbol and its impact on lending and borrowing. Several institutions have noted in the past the difficulties obtaining comprehensive and reliable lending statistics–please know that we are currently assessing this reporting template and associated practices in order to improve this process, but in the meantime please report lending statistics to the best of your ability (and please feel free to indicate in the form which areas you are not able to provide data). If you are not able to produce any lending statistics, please still enter your contact information and answer the questions about your use of the second symbol, then add a note in the comments field at the end of the form indicating this.
WEST Deselection Statistics: These statistics will also be gathered via a Google Form, and will ask for information regarding deselection of titles that have been archived at the Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. However, not all institutions track how the titles they’re deselecting would be categorized in the WEST archives, so we also include a general “all WEST” category. Finally, we ask that you report statistics for all journal deselection that you’ve performed in the last year, whether they were based on the WEST archives or other metrics.
Emails have been sent to WEST Primary Contacts with links to the Deselection Statistics form and to WEST Archiver Contacts with links to the archiving spreadsheet and lending form. If you believe that you should have received these but have not, or if you have any comments about gathering statistics or the reporting process, please email Anna Striker, WEST Collections Analyst, at anna.striker@ucop.edu.