The Joy of Selecting and Acquiring Materials Published in

Spanish-speaking Countries

Jesús Alonso-Regalado

Bibliographer for Latin American, Caribbean, and US Latino Studies

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

November 9, 2011IST 606 Collection Development & Management

Department of Information Studies, University at Albany

Contents• Hispanic/Latino Population and Spanish Language in the

US

• Latin American, Caribbean and Spanish Studies Collection Development in the United States

• The evolving role of the Latin American and Spanish Studies Librarian

• Research Trends

• Collection Development Challenges: Interdisciplinary Perspective and Technology

• Publishing Market: Books, Audiovisual Materials, and Journals

• Selection Tools

• Acquisitions: Vendors, Publishers, Bookstores, Books Fairs, Acquisition Trips

• Cooperative Collection Development Initiatives

Hispanics/Latino Population and Spanish Language in the US

• 47.8 millionThe estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2005, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 14 percent of the nation’s total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.) Source: US Census

• 102.6 million The projected Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 24 percent of the nation’s total population on that date. Source: US Census

• 31 million speak SpanishThe number of U.S. household residents age 5 and older who speak Spanish at home. Spanish speakers constitute a ratio of more than 1-in-10 U.S. household residents. Among all those who speak Spanish at home, more than one-half say they speak English “very well.” Source: American FactFinder

Latin American, Caribbean, and Spanish Studies Collection Development in the US

• Focus on area studies after World War II

• Academic Programs supporting area studies. Title VI

• Current Interest in Latin America and Spain

• Professional organizations- SALALM (Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials) http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/salalmhome.html- REFORMA (The Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking)http://www.reforma.org/- ACURIL (Assoc. of Caribbean Univ., Research, and Institutional Libraries) http://acuril.uprrp.edu/- WESS (Western European Section. ALA-ACRL)http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wessweb/index.html- ISIS (Iberian Studies in SALALM) http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/University_Library/ISIS/

The Evolving Role of the Latin American Studies Librarian

For further information, consult the following journal research article:

“Librarian for Latin American and Caribbean Studies in U.S. Academic and Research Libraries”, available at: http://connect.ala.org/node/79632

Where Can I Find Information about Latin American and Spanish

Research Trends?

1. Publications

• Handbook of Latin American Studies• Research monographs• Dissertations• Journals, Newsletters• Current news• Government documents• Statistical resources• Research projects• Working papers

2. Organizations and Institutions

• International, regional and government organizations- Organization of American States (OAS)

- Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

• Academic/research institutions and associations- Woodrow Wilson Center. Latin American Program.- LASA

• Private companies- Info-America. Tendencias: Latin American Market Report.

• International Institutes and Think Tanks- Real Instituto Elcano

• Library-related associations- In the US: SALALM , REFORMA, ACURIL, WESS, ISIS

- In Europe: REDIAL (European Network of Information and Documentation on Latin America)

3. Experts

• Where can we find information about them?- Directories and other reference materials- Listservs and Newsgroups- Conferences, Meetings, Lectures

4. Other Ways to Predict Research Trends

• Commemorations- History. Bicentennial celebration of the Latin American Wars of Independence 1806-1830- Prominent figures. Birth centenary of Chilean author Pablo Neruda (1904-2004)

• Crisis (Political, Economic, Social…)

• Re-defining Latin American and Spanish Studies in a global world

• Ever-growing cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective - Transnational and global studies- Cultural studies- Women and gender studies

• Shrinking budgets in an era of exponential information availability.

• Remote Access to Foreign MaterialsEx. Red de Bibliotecas Virtuales de Ciencias Sociales de America Latina y el Caribehttp://www.clacso.org.ar/biblioteca

Collection Development Challenges: Interdisciplinary Perspective and Technology

Book Publishing Industry Main Characteristics (I)

• Publishing market is the reflection of the economy and political system of the country where they are inserted

• Short print runs

• Increasing number of titles published every year

• Limited distribution channels

• Purchasing Power- Currency fluctuations

• Countries with high production rates: Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Spain

• High degree of government involvement in research and publications

• National bibliographies not always compiled in a systematic way and periodically

• New edition might sometimes mean just reprint• Electronic market still starting to develop• The establishment of personal contact with

publishers is still very important• US Academic libraries interested only in

Literature, Social Sciences, Humanities and Reference Works. (These subjects represent 25% of book production in Spain in 2004)

Book Publishing Industry Main Characteristics (II)

Book Publishing Industry (III)

Source: El Espacio Iberoamericano del Libro.2008 http://www.cerlalc.org/secciones/libro_desarrollo/El_espacio_iberoamericano.pdf

ARL Library Collections of Foreign-imprint Books

Source: Changing Global Book Collection Patterns in ARL Libraries

Figure 10: Top Ten Countries Represented by ARL Libraries’ Records in WorldCat: 1980–1984 to 2000-2004.

Spanish Language E-books in US Academic Libraries

• Vendors- E-libro (International partner of ebrary)- Digitalia- Others: Casalini, imylibrary (Coutts), Netlibrary, Alexander

Street Press

• Publishers- Increasing number of independent digital publishers that

only offer e-books. Many of them are NOT interested in including their output in large e-book platforms.

• Issues- Pricing & Access (FTE for foreign languages?)- Increasing number of Spanish titles but still a small number- Ownership vs. subscription- “Pick and choose” vs. packages- Purchasing power- Archiving policies- Interlibrary loan

Open Access ResearchJournals, Books, and other Scholarly Publications

• Latin America- Latin America and Caribbean social science virtual library -

CLACSO- SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online)- REDALYC (Network of Scientific Journals of Latin America

and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal)

• Spain- Scientific Journals CSIC (Spanish Council for Scientific

Research)

Increasing Open Access initiatives promoted by government agencies, research centers and universities provide visibility to research and enable effective impact of research not always included in U.S. databases.

Audiovisual market• Shorter print runs and for a limited time• Differences in format

- DVD zones or region codes. USA (1), Latin America (4), Spain (2)

- NTSC: USA and some Latin American Countries

- PAL: Spain and some Latin American Countries• Movies exclusively available by only one vendor• Movies only freely available• Online videos: Vendor offerings and Open Access

Selection based on…

• Student and faculty needs

• Curriculum needs

• Gaps in the collection: major topics, authors, core titles…

• Strengths of the collection. Ex. Caribbean Studies

• Current topics of Interest. Ex. Afro Latin America

• Research Trends. Ex. Histories of Independence

Selection Tools (I) Current Sources for In-print Books

By subscription• Spanish Books in Print (Bowker’s)

http://www.spanishbooksinprint.com/bip/

Freely available on the web• Repertorio Integrado de Libros en Venta en

Iberoamerica (RILVI)http://www.cerlalc.org/rilvi/

• Base de Datos de Libros Editados en España

http://www.mcu.es/libro/CE/AgenciaISBN/BBDDLibros/Sobre.html

• Distribuidor de Información del Libro Español en Venta (DILVE)http://www.dilve.es/

Selection Tools (II)• Publishers’ catalogs and databases• Review Sources

- Specialized Magazines

Críticas Magazine http://www.criticasmagazine.com/

El Cultural http://www.elcultural.es/

- Literary Supplements Babelia (EL PAIS) http://www.elpais.es/suple/babelia/

- Research Journals Latin American Research Review

- Other Initiatives and Projects

America Reads Spanish http://www.americareadsspanish.org

• Bibliographic Tools and Union CatalogsREBIUN http://rebiun.crue.org/

Metabase http://www.metabase.net/

Selection Tools (III)• Subject Bibliographies- Handbook of Latin American Studies- Cobos, Ana María Cobos. Latin American Studies: An

Annotated Bibliography of Core Works. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, c2002.

- Covington, Paula, ed. Latin America and the Caribbean: a Critical Guide to Research Sources. New York : Greenwood Press, 1992.

- Ranucci, Karen. A Guide to Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino-Made Film and Video. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 1998.

• Books for Children and Young Adults- Servicio de Orientación de Lectura Infantil y Juvenilhttp://www.sol-e.com/- Barahona Center for the Study of Books in Spanish For

Children and Adolescentshttp://www.csusm.edu/csb/

Vendors

• No vendor can provide everything

• Large vs. small vendors

• Approval plans. Prons and Cons

• US vendors as providers of Spanish language titles

• Avoid sending orders to Spain in August

• Where to locate information about vendors?http://www.salalm.org/booksellers/libreros.html

Publishers

• Publishers as providers of library materialsPros and Cons

• Directory of Publishers, Distributors, and Booksellers in Latin America (CERLALC)http://www.cerlalc.org/dedl2/index.php

• Directory of Publishers in Spain (FGEE)http://www.federacioneditores.org/Search/Search_EN.asp

• Publishers (Ministry of Culture. ISBN Agency)http://www.mcu.es/libro/CE/AgenciaISBN/BBDDEdit/BDDEditoriales.html

• Spanish Publishers Specialized in Literature and Linguistics: A Compilation of their Series http://www.library.nd.edu/colldev/subject_home_pages/spanish/series.pdf

Bookstores

• Bookstores and the “libreros” (booksellers) as providers of specialized and personalized services.

• Online Bookstores (Cervantes Virtual)

http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/MuestraCategorias?categoria=159

• Out of Print, Used, and Rare Books- Iberlibro

http://www.iberlibro.com/- Uniliber

http://www.uniliber.com/

Why is it Still Important to Acquire Materials in Book Fairs?

• To familiarize yourself with the area publishing trade.

• To save money/expand your purchase power.

• To locate materials not available for purchase.

• To acquire hard-to-find books not available in vendor catalogs.

• To share information with colleagues.

• To develop relationships with publishers, vendors…

Preparing the Book Fair Trip

• Apply for the ALA-FIL FREE PASS program.

• Compile a list of materials and topics suggested by your faculty and students.

• Generate a list of the materials owned by the library (specific dates, countries of publication…)

• Check some titles and publisher catalogs against the library catalog.

• “Featured Publisher”.

• Contact publishers (pre-order materials), institutions and experts in the country of your visit.

At the Book Fair

• Combination of cash and credit card payments. Keep in mind that some publishers do not accept credit cards.

• Get a general overview of the book fair floor.

• Prioritize the areas to visit, e.g., booths of smaller countries or publishers with limited quantities of titles.

• Contact publishers, colleagues, authors, vendors…

• Some books might have been originally written in English….

• Write field trip notes.

• Attend academic and cultural activities, alternative book fairs, .…

After the Book Fair

Title Price Paid in Mexico (USD)

Price from U.S. (USD)

Mark-Up

Los indios de México en el siglo XXI 6.90 46.44 6.73

Matrix to determine savings by averaging the mark-up on a few titles for prices that were found in book vendor sources.

• Demonstrate savings, even if library has paid for part of the trip

• UNIQUENESS. Highlight the number of titles not available in Worldcat, US libraries, your state, your library system….

• Showcase materials acquired to students and faculty

Book Fairs in Spanish-speaking countries

Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires (Argentina)http://www.el-libro.com.ar/

Feria Internacional de Santiago (Chile)http://www.camlibro.cl/filsa/

Feria Internacional del Libro de Bogotá (Colombia)http://www.feriadellibro.com/

Feria Internacional del Libro LIBER (España)http://www.ifema.es/ferias/liber/

Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (Mexico)http://www.fil.com.mx/

Connecting Students and Facultyto Collection Building using Social Network Tools

Checking out the Materials Acquired at the Book Fair http://bit.ly/aMUt4s

New Titles Acquired at the Book Fair http://bit.ly/btEMHW

• Distributed Resources Project. Latin Americanist Research Resources Project (LARRP).

• Latin American Microform Project (LAMP).

• Harvard and Yale University cooperative project for Mexican and Chilean collections.

Cooperative Collection Development Initiatives

SUNYLATI Cooperative Collection Development (2007-)

- Participating libraries: Albany and Binghamton- Two projects:

► Database Consortium. Chicano database

► Puerto Rican Monographs.

Vendor: Libros de Barlovento

• Goal: Subscription to the Chicano Database.

- Growing Hispanic/ Latino population in New York state.

- Increased enrollment of Latino students in New York state universities.

- Support of academic programs in our campus centers that are expanding programs focused on U.S. Latino studies and are currently offering courses in this area.

Database Consortium

Puerto Rican Monographs

• Goal: Acquisition of non-core monographs published in Puerto Rico in the Social Sciences and the Humanities.

- Puerto Rican Studies is expanding in our campus centers.- Puerto Rican population in New York state: 5.7% (Source: 2005

Census).

Distribution of Subjects by Campus – PR Monographs

University at Albany Binghamton UniversityEconomics Anthropology

Education Art

Health Environmental studies

Music Fiction*

Poetry* History

Political Science PhilosophySociology Religion

Theatre*

Process

1. Vendor sends catalogs (two per year) via email to librarians.2. Librarians make their selections and communicate with each other about them. Avoid duplication as much as possible.3. Orders are sent to the vendor.4. Evaluation.

• Cooperative projects are useful (and possible) for institutions with limited funding.

• SUNYLATI Funds: $1,000 for each campus center (in the case of UAlbany this represented around 1/3 of the total budget for PR materials in FY08 and even more in FY09).

• Materials acquired (FY 08 and 09): 138 (4 duplicates in FY08 and 5 in FY09). This project enabled us to acquire 33% of all monographs offered by the vendor during this period.

• Access. One copy of these valuable materials is available within the SUNY system facilitating easy access via ILL.

• Cost-efficiency. It does not require a lot of work and maintenance by the bibliographers and technical services staff in our respective universities.

• Willingness to work as a team and reach agreements.

Evaluation & Conclusions of a Cooperative Project