Benchmarking; pathway to knowledge sharing

Abstract

This paper explores the possibilities of benchmarking technical services operations and collections in veterinary libraries. Collections are areas most often measured in surveys by numbers alone. A technical services operation involves much more than those final tallies. Benchmarking is a means of identifying best practice in those processes to improve performance. This paper focuses on the intersection between collection development and acquisitions. Specifically, how do libraries identify, select and acquire materials (in all formats) in veterinary medicine? How well plans work for print materials in veterinary libraries? What other methods are used to identify and acquire veterinary resources? Possible measurements include: total amount of veterinary materials added, number of materials acquired through approval plans, number of materials acquired through other means, and number of staff/librarians involved in process of discovery.