Collection Evaluation in the Small Library Supporting a New Academic Program

Abstract

This study reviews some of the methods, results, and required resources for when a small library conducts a collection evaluation to support a new academic program.  The Baptist Seminary of Kentucky launched the Institute for Black Church Studies in 2020. Two primary foci of the Institute are to offer an M.Div. concentration and a graduate-level certificate in Black Church Studies.  Given the interdisciplinary nature of the subject matter, attention to the breadth as well as the depth of the currently available collection is required as a means of evaluating areas of strength and weakness.  The unique, all-digital, cooperative structure of the library provides added complexities and opportunities to support this new program.