Library Staff General FAQ

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What is the Collection Management Initiative (CMI)?
Why have journal volumes been removed from the library shelves?
Are we the only UC campus participating in this project?
How long will this project last?How can I access the electronic versions of the journals that have been transferred to storage?
Why are the labels on some journal volumes?
What if I need to consult a journal volume that has been transferred to storage?
How will user behavior and preference data be obtained?
What does the library hope to learn by participating in this project?
How is the CMI project organized?

Journal titles in the study

How many experimental titles are going to be taken of the shelf?
Are the experimental titles limited to any discipline(s)?
Are there a minimum number of titles in a subject (5? 10?), or is it helpful to select even one title in a discipline?
How can I find out what the experimental titles are?
What are the criteria for selecting a Journal for the study?
Who actually choose the titles in the study?

What is the Collection Management Initiative (CMI)?
The CMI is a two-year research project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. From October 2001 through September 2002, selected print journals in UC libraries for which electronic access is available through the California Digital Library, will be temporarily removed from the shelf. During the study, researchers will rely primarily on the electronic versions of these journals. However, if a researcher needs to consult the print version, the volume will be temporarily brought back for use or a photocopy may be provided. Usage data will be gathered, and researcher experiences and preferences will be assessed. View the project proposal.

Why have journal volumes been removed from the library shelves?
The campus is participating in a grant-funded research project to study user behavior and preferences when selected print journals also available in digital form have been relocated to storage. As part of the research study, we will gather usage data for both the digital and print versions of selected journal titles.

Are we the only UC campus participating in this project?
The research grant is university-wide. All UC campuses are participating in the study.

How long will this project last?
The print volumes of selected journals will be in storage for a year, from October 2001 to September 2002. During the time that the journals are in storage, usage data, user behavior and preference data, as well as costs, will be documented for purposes of the grant.

How can I access the electronic versions of the journals that have been transferred to storage?
You may go to the CDL web site or to your campus library web site.

Why are the labels on some journal volumes?
We're collecting use data. We appreciate you not reshelving marked volumes so that we can get an accurate use count for research purposes.

What if I need to consult a journal volume that has been transferred to storage?
You can request that any journal volume be brought back from storage or that a photocopy be provided for the article you need. Please ask a staff member at public service desk or access your campus library website for an online request form.

How will user behavior and preference data be obtained?
The project team will use surveys and interviews to learn about user preferences. For example, we will want to know when the print version is preferred over the digital version and why, and what the challenges are when the print version of a journal is not located on campus.

The project team will also gather data about use of print and the use of digital versions of the same journal, and the costs of relocating journals to storage and retrieving them when requested.

What does the library hope to learn by participating in this project?
We hope to gain a better understanding of the use of our library collections, made up of digital and print versions of the same content. We hope to develop intelligent and cost effective strategies for managing growing collections of digital content that often duplicates print.

How is the CMI project organized?
Several advisory groups including the Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Advisory Committee, the University Librarians and groups assembled for the purpose of the study guide Planning and implementation of the project. These project groups include a Steering Committee, a Research Advisory Committee and an Operations Advisory Committee. Membership is composed of faculty and librarians and the rosters for these committees are available within the CMI web site Staff and Advisory Groups section.

Journal titles in the study

How many experimental titles are going to be taken of the shelf?
About three hundred titles will be removed from shelves.

Are the experimental titles limited to any discipline(s)?
The number of titles in any discipline is really up to the campus. A critical mass of titles from each discipline would be ideal. However the CMI project did not want to limit campus participation or flexibility in selecting titles. A campus can decide to focus on only one, two or three disciplines if they so choose.

Are there a minimum number of titles in a subject (5? 10?), or is it helpful to select even one title in a discipline?
There is no minimum; even one in a discipline is of interest.

How can I find out what the experimental titles are?
The CMI Project Data section offers a list of study titles.

What are the criteria for selecting a journal for the study?
The criteria for selection are sufficient data from the electronic publisher to measure use by title, month and campus, at least one subscription to the print and corresponding digital and print holdings. The initial list of 2429 possible study journals includes a variety of disciplines, content characteristics and usage demands.

Who actually chose the titles in the study?
Local Libraries selected the titles for the experiment. Campuses were provided a list of titles that fit the criteria. Each participating campus selected titles based on their knowledge of collection use, faculty interest, subscriptions, and holdings. The CMI project matched experimental and control sites based on these campus selections.