Multiplying by Division: Mapping the Collection at University of North Texas Libraries

The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries has developed a unique collection assessment tool, the Collection Map, to provide support for a new access‐based collection development philosophy. UNT Librarians realized the limitations of traditional assessment methods to gauge the impact of emerging acquisitions models such as demand‐driven acquisitions (DDA) and large interdisciplinary e‐book collections. What was needed was a flexible, nimble assessment system to track access, holdings, and interlibrary loan (ILL) activity for each academic discipline. The Collection Map is a database that links items, and their associated data, to any one of several dozen overlapping subcollections via Library of Congress call numbers (LCCNs). The Collection Map’s unique many‐to‐many relationship of subcollections to items and data enables librarians to demonstrate support for subject areas and to make more informed collecting decisions. This article describes the components and creation of the Collection Map, including manipulation of existing systems to extract data.