Evaluation of the Book Collection and Periodical Collections of the College of Allied Medical Profession

De Leon, Rosa I (2004). Evaluation of the Book Collection and Periodical Collections of the College of Allied Medical Profession. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C.

Introduction

The College of Allied Medical Professions, University of the Philippines was the first school in the Philippines (UP CAMP) to offer the Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Pathology, Masters in Clinical Audiology and Masters in Rehabilitation Science. In its 40 years of existence, the College has always maintained a quality of standards in its graduates who are unparalleled in the practice of their future profession. The profession must provide a vast amount of knowledge for each student. This basic theoretical knowledge must be translated into the practical clinical setting in which all students must go through. Through the College’s 39 years of servicing the Filipino public, the College Library has been at the forefront in providing the necessary, adequate, well-selected and organized information for its major clientele, which includes students, faculty, researchers and other users. The College Library is an essential source of information for the intellectual advancement in the health sciences.

The Problem

This study evaluated the library collections, namely the periodical and book sections qualitatively and quantitatively. It determined the strength and weaknesses of the collection through a descriptive comparison of the collection of the College Library in relation to two foreign institutions that have similar objectives. The study compared the collection to the Brandon-Hill List that is the standard list used by health libraries as basis for the contents of their collections. It also compared the College Library standards to the University of the Philippines Library standards. Lastly, it evaluated the Library collection according to the perceptions of the faculty and students.

Methodology

The main areas focused on the recency, adequacy and comprehensiveness of the collection. The results of the study may serve as guidelines in the planning and formulation of the Library’s collection development program. One hundred twenty three (123) respondents were asked to answer the questionnaires. There was 100% response rate, which may be attributed to the method of data gathering.

Discussions

The average age of the respondents is 22.7. Around 68 of the respondents are females while 32 are males. More than half (55% of the sample) came from the undergraduate level, while almost 20 percent came from the faculty. A little over 16 percent of the sampled library users were alumni. The top four (4) purposes in visiting the library was research (109), borrowing and returning library materials (90), studying (58), and leisure reading (49). Other purposes noted by the respondents were using the computer and internet, along with conducting group discussions and meetings. An assessment of the standards by UP System for UP Libraries revealed that the book collection of the UP CAMP: Library does not meet the set standards. UP CAMP only meets around 53 percent of the total volume of books required. On the other hand, the current listing of UP CAMP periodicals exceeds the requirement of 50 titles for a student population of less than 1000. It can be noted from the graph that the University of the Philippines College of Allied Medical Professions Library collections are greater in number compared to University of Queensland and University of South Alabama in all categories, Occupational therapy. Physical therapy, Speech Pathology and the journals. The University of Queensland was second and the University of South Alabama had the least amount of materials in all categories listed. Overall, the University of the Philippines, College of Allied medical professions Library had the largest collection of 1624, followed by the University of Queensland at 1179. The University of South Alabama had the smallest overall collection at 400. This comparison was done without regard to the Brandon/Hill List of recommended books and periodicals. Furthermore, the UP CAMP Library has in its acquisition 63 percent of the selected Brandon/Hill List of printed books and journals in allied health, while University of Queensland has only acquired 43 percent of those materials suggested in the Brandon/Hill List. The University of South Alabama had the lowest percentage of acquired materials in the Brandon/Hill List at 31 percent.

Recommendations

The CAMP Library collection be maintained and more books be added to continually be at par with the other institutions with the same specialization and to fulfill the standards set by the university and international boards.

Evaluation of the Periodical Collections of Selected Protestants Theological Seminary Libraries in the Philippines

Researcher: ELVIRA VIRGINIA LASAM CALIG

Course: Master of Library Science

School: University of the Philippines

Subject Area: Periodical Collections-Evaluation

Year of Graduation: 1994

Research Problem

The periodical collections of selected Protestant theological seminary libraries in the Philippines were evaluated to determine the sufficiency of the collections in supporting the instructional needs of the theological seminaries.

Methodology

The impressionistic method was used, utilizing faculty and student’s perceptions about the periodical collections in relation to their personal needs and the curricular requirements of the graduate program of the theological schools. Data were gathered through documentary analysis and a questionnaire, supplemented by interviews. The questionnaire was the main tool used in determining the perceptions of the respondents.

Findings

The findings reveal that the faculty of the theological seminaries have the necessary educational program in their respective academic and professional fields. The periodical collection in some subjects areas offered in four schools was evaluated as “very sufficient” in relation to the curricular requirements of the graduate program while, in another four schools, the periodical collection in each subject was found to be “sufficient.” The resources in the nine theological schools were sufficient in relation to the information needs of the respondents. Majority of the respondents rated their collection as sufficient in relation to the information needs of the respondents. However, there was a great demand for valuable literature relevant to their research and information needs, especially in their areas of specialization. The combined evaluation made by the faculty and students on the use of periodicals reveal that the 260 periodical titles listed were used by the faculty and students on two levels only, i.e., “sometimes” and “rarely used.” With regards to the general evaluation of the library periodical collection, the faculty and students rated the said collection as sufficient in supporting the research needs of the researchers and in supporting the graduate instruction of the theological seminaries.