ATG Article of the Week: A Use Statistic for Collection Management: The 80/20 Rule Revisited

Article of the Week for March 8, 2011:

A Use Statistic for Collection Management: The 80/20 Rule Revisited by William A. Britten. Library Acquisitions: Practice and Theory, v.14#2, 1990, pp.183-89.
 
Using data from UT Knoxville, the 80/20 statistics are computed and Trueswell’s findings are substantiated.  However, there is substantial deviation among  individual LC classes. This approach may provide guidance for allocating the acquisitions budget and provide data regarding patron use of specific categories of materials. (a tidbit: Bill Britten was once married to the late Judy Webster, long associated with the Charleston Conference until her untimely death).