In September, College & Research Libraries published the much-anticipated “A Model to Determine Optimal Numbers of Monograph Copies for Preservation in Shared Print Collections.” This paper is the culmination of work in the Partnership for Shared Book Collections into risk and determining the optimal number of copies to retain for a monograph title to ensure its long-term preservation and availability.
Abstract: In this study we developed a model and a spreadsheet tool for calculating, based on user input informed by available data, the probability of at least one usable copy of a monograph title surviving at various time horizons in shared print collections. The calculation incorporates four risk factors, which were assigned values based on research in the literature and our own studies. We applied the model to sample selected time horizons and risk tolerances, which suggests a minimum number of copies of a title needed for retention.
Authors: Ian Bogus (ReCAP), Candace Arai Yano (University of California – Berkeley), Shannon Zachary (University of Michigan), Jacob Nadal (Library of Congress), Mary Miller (University of Minnesota), Helen N. Levenson (Oakland University), Fern Brody (University of Pittsburgh), and Sara Amato (Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust)
