| dc.description.abstract | Background: This article discusses the collection policies of a university library
in a modern digital environment. A brief description of national collection
policy decisions in Finland is provided. The rapid evolution and growth of scientific
publication places new demands on building a collection in a health and
bioscience orientated university, and it requires an evidence-based approach to
support effective service processes.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify the needs of the university's
students and staff.
Methods: Usage statistics were surveyed and analysed.
Results: Both usage statistics and user surveys indicate that the library use is
divided half-and-half between the traditional use of printed material and
library premises and the modern use of digital materials via the Web. The
former is mainly the way that the students and hospital staff use the library, and
the latter can be viewed as the researchers' way of using the library. Librarians
and information specialists act in this as service providers and/or guides and
tutors to the end-users. These results, however, must be validated with a longer
timescale data collation and analysis, both of which are an ongoing process
within the library.
Conclusions: It is important that requirements and needs of the library's users
are monitored regularly and acquisition policies are updated frequently. It also
seems that the needs have changed quite dramatically in response to modern
ways of disseminating publications, but this supposition will require further study. | en_US |
