Book Allocations in a University Library: An Evaluation of Multiple Formulas

This article describes an academic library's process of running multiple allocation models in order to find one that best suits the needs of the institution. The authors employed four methods: percentage-based, factor analysis, weighted multiple-variable, and circulation-based in order to inform the redistribution of book (print and electronic) funds. A comparison of the models revealed very different results. The final consensus of Hofstra University's Reference and Collection Development Department was to employ a circulation-based allocation model to redistribute funds, while also using subject specialist experience to adjust this redistribution