Abstract :
Objective: The paper describes the information needs of a state public health agency, compares needs to its libraryʹs collection, and evaluates collection development policy accordingly. Methods: A citation analysis of journal articles authored by Minnesota Department of Health staff as well as official publications from 2002 to 2004 was conducted. Fifty-six publications fitting the criteria for inclusion in the study were identified using PubMed and library records. Information on each cited reference was recorded, including reference type, relative age of citation, and journal name, if applicable. The libraryʹs collection and collection development policies were analyzed in regard to the results. Results: As expected, journals were the most heavily cited format: 63% (n = 897) of all citations were to journal articles. Most cited materials were between 2 and 5 years old. The 897 journal citations represented 265 different journals. The top 10 cited journals (4% of all titles) accounted for 36% (n = 320) of all citations; 62% (n = 320) of journals were cited only once. Of the total journals cited, the library subscribed to 70% (n = 627). Discussion: Overall, no large gaps appeared in the RN Barr Libraryʹs journal collection. The analysis confirms that the libraryʹs collections budget for serials and books reflects the cited use of these materials.
