A STUDY OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING LATIN AMERICAN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study addresses the problem of evaluating Latin American area collections in academic libraries. A framework of methods was surveyed to provide a comprehensive and systematic organization of them as guidelines to library decision-makers in the process of library collection evaluation. The procedures for constructing the framework consisted of the identification of methods by using theme analysis and the organization and structuring of methods by using classification. These approaches were part of a reiterative process through the literature search and specialists consultation. The verification and revision consisted of analyzing and comparing both results of the literature analysis and the specialists survey. The survey instrument was sent to thirty-four area specialists in academic libraries throughout the U.S. involved in Latin American area programs.; Selected findings of the investigation showed that: (a) bibliographic checking/comparison, professional judgement, quantification analysis, and usage/use were the four major evaluation methods found to be most used; (b) quality of the collection was a priority concern in the evaluation process; (c) there is a predominant concentration of the role of bibliographer and subject specialists in directing the evaluation and making decisions; and (d) bibliographies and standard lists are bases on which libraries evaluate their Latin American collections.; The major conclusions of this investigation are: (a) evaluation of an area collection is not a rigid process with a prescribed methodology; (b) the process of evaluating collections involves a variety of methods and approaches depending on and according to different purposes for which the evaluation is used; and (c) two major elements that are considerations before the choice of methods and interpretation of results take place are criteria and dimension in relation to theoretical and individual points of view as well as synchronical, dyachronical and change aspects.; Implications arose from the study through its theoretical, methodological and practical contributions. A theoretical contribution was the condition of bases for the identification and study of available methods for evaluating collections. A methodological one was the possibility of constructing bases for a framework of evaluation methods. And, a practical one constituted the construction of the framework and related information as useful tools and guidelines for the professional librarian.