Collection Development Group (CDG)

Purpose

The IPLC Collection Development Group (CDG) provides leadership and strategy for coordinated and cooperative collection development and management. CDG effectively and efficiently uses its collective resources to create a networked infrastructure that increases management of, and access to, the dynamic collection that underpins the research ecosystem of Ivy Plus institutions.

Vision

The Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation embraces a vision for collaborative collection development and management which recognizes the IPLC’s preeminent academic research collections as one substantial collection supporting the teaching and research and missions of each of its thirteen institutions as well as the global scholarly community. The IPLC endeavors to implement projects and initiatives which, in time, move research materials above the institution, embedding them in a networked infrastructure that fosters collaboration, coordination, and cooperation in building and providing access to a wide array of academic research collections.

Current & Past Work

Note: While CDG explores a variety of collaborative projects and initiatives, IPLC does not engage in collaborative or group licensing of electronic resources.

Ongoing Programs & Initiatives

• Web Collecting Program (2017 – Present)
  A collaborative collection development effort to build curated, thematic collections of freely available, but at-risk, web content in order to support research at participating Libraries and beyond. All thirteen IPLC members participate in the Program. 
• Collaborative Book Collection Program Initiative (2023 – Present)
  This initiative continues and operationalizes the work of the Collaborative Book Collection Program Pilot. The goal of this initiative is to use limited resources to intentionally and collaboratively develop a more effective and efficient collection that will benefit researchers not just within IPLC, but potentially nationally.

Projects

• Collaborative Book Collection Program Pilot (2021 – 2023)
  This project developed a proof of concept strategy for an IPLC prospective collaborative collection. The goal was to use limited resources to intentionally and collaboratively develop a more effective and efficient collection that will benefit researchers not just within IPLC, but potentially nationally. 
• IPLC High Density Facility Survey Results (2021)
  CDG conducted a study on the Confederation’s high density shelving capacity. This survey was one part of the overall study, with a goal of understanding IPLC’s short-, mid-, and long-term needs for housing collections in order to develop strategies around the housing and servicing of the collective collection in the future. 
• Definitions and Concepts for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Collaborative Collections (2020)
  The goal of this project was to articulate concepts and create definitions of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion to apply to IPLC’s collaborative collection development. The concepts and definitions are meant to have a long shelf life and create a common vocabulary in support of evolving collaborative collections work. This project represents a small first step and is in no way conclusive as this conceptual work requires time, focus, iteration, evolution, dialogue, and collaboration, as well as immense care, listening skills, and thoughtfulness. 
• Analysis for Collaborative Collection Development (2019 – 2020)
  In line with the partnership’s Collaborative Collection Development and Management of Collection strategic priority, including the rigorous collection and analysis of data about holdings, this five-part project informed the development of IPLC prospective collaborative collections, most immediately the development of an IPLC collaborative book collection program pilot. 
• Collection Analysis Dataset Feasibility Study (2018 – 2019)
  For this project, the Dataset Feasibility Study Initiative Task Force completed initial steps to identify and develop a framework for an Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation (IPLC) collaborative collection analysis program. The Task Force documented the associated workflows and human resource requirements for each process and worked to identify institutional impacts as well as barriers and risks for future collaborative efforts and tested methods and tools for deduplicating holdings records from member institutions. 
• Collaborative E-Book Pilot (2016 – 2017)
  As part of the Collection Development Group’s original Business Plan and as reiterated by the outcomes of the Group’s FY17 strategic vision work, a subgroup explored the feasibility of an Ivy Plus Libraries e-book pilot. 
• Collaborative Selection Tool (2016 – 2017)
  The scope of this project was to investigate the potential of a shared collections decision-making support platform which would be managed and developed by IPLC members to achieve both local and strategic collections goals.

Governance

The Group is composed of 1-2 representatives from each participating member institution, one of whom is the institution’s chief collection development officer. 

Each year representatives elect a vice-chair/chair-elect who serves progressive roles (chair-elect, chair, immediate past chair) for a three-year term. The immediate past chair, along with the incumbent chair and vice-chair, serve as a de facto executive committee, which plans and steers the work of the larger Group. The Director of Collections Initiatives (DCI) serves as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Group and the executive committee.

History

In Fall 2014, the assistant and associate university librarians (AULs) of collections at the BorrowDirect participating institutions submitted a proposal to their Library Directors that – based on the success of BorrowDirect and efforts of BorrowDirect AULs to work collaboratively since 2008 – recommended expanded work on collaborative, collective collections. The Library Directors accepted the recommendation and charged  the AULs of collections to draft a business plan for their initiatives. The group was named “Ivy Plus Libraries Collection Development Group” and included representation from each of the 13 cooperating institutions in the Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation.

Contact CDG

Galadriel Chilton, Director of Collections Initiatives
[email protected]