PLC_Quantitative

Alexia -- I will finalize this and add it to the compiled document (sunday early afternoon). Ièll worry about the pie charts too since youère having trouble. And why is my key board doing this : ééééééé AAHHH!!! lol

· Source: Dewey 22, vol. 3, p. 9
 * **Dewey Number ** ||  **Number of PLC Books **  ||  **Dewey Subject(s) **  ||
 * 610 || 30  || Medicine and health  ||
 * 611 || 5  || Human anatomy, cytology, histology  ||
 * 612 || 47  || Human physiology  ||
 * 613 || 74  || Personal health and safety  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">614 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">42  || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Forensic medicine; incidence of injuries, wounds, disease; public preventative medicine  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">615 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">44  || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Pharmacology and therapeutics  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">616 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">232  || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Diseases  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">617 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">25  || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Miscellaneous branches of medicine, Surgery  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">618 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">67  || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Other branches of medicine; Gynecology and obstetrics  ||
 * <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">619 || <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">discontinued  ||   ||

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">The //Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction: A Selection Guide to Reference Books and Adult Nonfiction// (13th Edition) and the //2010 Supplement to the Thirteenth Edition// list a total of 566 books in the 610 through 618 Dewey range. While only 5 suggested titles are included for Dewey number 611 (5), 232 titles are offered for Dewey number 616. In fact, the PLC includes more than three times as many books in the 616s as in the next-largest Dewey number (the 613s). These statistics are mirrored in the St. Thomas Public Library collection itself, where 616 is the most popular Dewey number and 611 the least. This being said, the high concentration of 616s in the PLC is unsurprising as books on diseases become outdated more quickly and the technical and specialized nature of this range may mean that the PLC feels it must provide more guidance on these topics for collection development librarians. Moreover, PLC is likely attempting to ensure that libraries have quality resources on diseases so that users will consult them rather than the internet or other unreliable sources.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Dewey range 613 through 615 was then subject to a detailed quantitative analysis. This particular range was selected because it included materials on exercise, nutrition, and drugs -- all of which can potentially be linked to the potential health effects of the city's economic position. The 615s in particular were an area of interest due to the links between exercise and drug use--after all, individuals who are dissatisfied with their physical fitness may choose to take pills and other supplements.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">PLC listings for these three Dewey numbers totalled 160 books. In cases where the 2010 supplement included updated editions of a title from the 2007 PLC list, the older edition was removed from the sample. This left a total of 157 titles.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">The following tables and charts demonstrate some important characteristics of the PLC's selection of titles in the 613 through 615s:


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Dewey Number || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">% of Books ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">613 || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">46 ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">614 || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">26 ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">615 || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">28 ||


 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Date of Publication || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Percentage of Titles ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">1990s || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">20 ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">2000-2004 || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">44 ||
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">2005-2010 || <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">36 <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">verage date of publication: 2003 ||

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Average number of pages: 396
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">PAGES || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">% of books ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">100-200 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">8% ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">200-300 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">28% ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">300-400 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">30% ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">400-500 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">14% ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">500+ || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 7.5pt 0cm 0cm;">19% ||

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Language: 100% English

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Titles published by small, independent, or alternative presses: 27 (18%) <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Titles published by large and/or mainstream presses: 130 (82%)

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Number of PLC books held by the St. Thomas Public Library: 59

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The PLC list appears to emphasize currency since the average date of publication is 2003, and only 20% of its titles were published before the year 2000. Moreover, 36% of the titles were published within the last five years.This being said, however, certain memorable but older texts have evidently remained in the list for several years; 1998's "The "Go ask Alice" book of answers: a guide to good physical, sexual, and emotional health" is but one example.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">It is also evident that PLC concentrates on lengthier publications: the average length of their chosen titles is 396 pages, and no titles with under 100 pages were included in the list. Smaller publications appear to be largely ignored; this may mean that short but definite books which focus on specialty topics are not considered for inclusion by the PLC. This is an important consideration when following the PLC’s recommendations.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Another important consideration when following the PLC is the need to examine a particular community’s demographics. Since all of the books in the list are in English, they might not suit communities with diverse language needs such as St. Thomas, where one in ten individuals has a non-English first language (SOURCE: Census 2006).

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Six university presses were represented in the PLC list; these included Harvard University Press (3), Johns Hopkins University Press (1), Oxford University Press (4), University of California Press (2), and University of Nebraska Press (1), and Yale University Press (1). They thus made up only 7.5% of the publishers (12/159). Although this trend may be explained by the fact that the PLC is aimed at public libraries, it is nonetheless surprising that the wide range of reliable and scholarly material available through university presses is being utilized in so limited a way. The PLC may thus be ignoring important advances in physical education and pharmacology research which would otherwise be of benefit to public library users.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The more popular presses included: <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Macmillan - 18 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Penguin - 16 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Simon & Schuster - 15 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Random House - 14 <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">HarperCollins – 10

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In effect, the top five publishers (or imprints thereof) are responsible for approximately 46% of the books in the PLC list (73/157). Large mainstream publishers were responsible for 82% of the books in the PLC lists while small, independent, and/or alternative publishers made up only 18% of the list. The latter included (but were not limited to) Human Kinetics, Common Courage Press, New Page Books, Seven Stories Press, and Sterling Publishing. It is thus apparent that there is a strong emphasis on the output of large publishers in the PLC list. This being said, the nature of the 613s-615s is such that there is perhaps less room for alternative perspectives.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Greenfieldt, John, and Patrice Bartell, eds. (2008). //Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction: A Selection Guide to Reference Books and Adult Nonfiction//, 13th Edition. New York: H. W. Wilson Company.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.25pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Greenfieldt, John, and Patrice Bartell, eds. (2010). //Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction: 2010 Supplement to the Thirteenth Edition//. New York: H. W. Wilson Company.

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Mitchell, Joan S., et al. (2003). Dewey Decimal Classification and Relative Index. Volume 3: Schedules 600-999. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Online computer Library Center, Inc.