WEST ASU Gap Filling Pilot Mid-Point Update
Current WEST archiving standards require Archive Builders to actively seek contributions to fill gaps in the medium and high risk level titles they archive, but WEST also bounds this work, limiting gap filling activities to ensure Builders have sufficient time to complete their archiving work on all committed titles. To date, WEST has neither required nor encouraged Archive Builders to revisit their legacy archived titles to fill persistent gaps or to extend the archived holdings with local collections. But at present, there is still a ways to go to complete these medium and high risk archived titles.
With this in mind, WEST partnered with WEST Builder Arizona State University to launch a pilot project aimed at determining overall value and viability of a dedicated gap-filling project in WEST. Some of the key questions the pilot seeks to answer are:
- How much is added and from what streams (ASU local collection, WEST members, libraries beyond WEST)?
- How many calls for holdings receive affirmative responses from WEST contributors, and what reasons WEST contributors give for declining calls for holdings requests?
- What are the challenges and opportunities for the Archive Builder of engaging in retrospective gap-filling; how sustainable and scalable is it?
Answering these questions should help us examine the effectiveness of retrospective gap filling and inform future gap filling efforts across WEST and the broader shared print community.
This pilot launched in March of 2022 and will run until Spring of 2025. Anyone who wants to remain updated on the progress of the pilot can do so through the newly published ASU Gap Filling Pilot page on WEST’s website. The page will be updated regularly to show the current stage of the pilot and connect members to any key resources related to the pilot. The page also contains a more detailed history of this pilot for anyone interested.
Additionally, the web page also includes a recently conducted mid-point analysis that gives us some insight into how the pilot is progressing so far.
The analysis shows that:
- 35.7% of selected journals had an increase in % completion
- 5% of selected journals (43 total) were brought to 100% complete
- 143 volumes added through Journal Retention and Needs Listing (JRNL) offers
- 2,870 local volumes were added with even more to come
As illustrated above, the bulk of the gap filling has been done using local volumes already held, but not yet committed for retention, by ASU. ASU has received some offers to fill gaps through the Journal Retention Needs Listing (JRNL) program, however they have received few responses to calls for holdings.
While the addition of volumes through local holdings is extremely beneficial, calls for holdings remain a critical way that Archive Builders complete backfiles for medium and high risk level journals they are archiving. All WEST members are encouraged to respond to these calls and to contribute volumes where they are able.
By drawing on the collections of the wider WEST membership, Archive Builders are able to compile complete runs of journals in a single location, streamlining access and maintenance responsibilities. Furthermore, gap filling is an incredibly valuable way that members can contribute to the broader collective collection even if they are unable to be Archive Builders or Holders themselves.
Even if you are unable to contribute volumes to fill gaps it is still extremely valuable to respond to calls for holdings you receive; your timely and explicit response helps Archive Builders take informed next steps to fill those gaps in other ways. Additionally, we now also have a Calls for Holdings Tracking Spreadsheet where WEST members can indicate to all Archive Builders if they are currently open and able to respond to calls for holdings, or share if they are engaged in a deselection project and seeking to contribute volumes to aid in that deselection. Conversely, if a member is unable to respond to calls for holdings at this time, then putting that information in this spreadsheet can save everyone time.