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ERIC Number: ED450803
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 2000-Jul
Pages: 99
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0160-3582
EISSN: N/A
Managing Corporate Annual Reports. SPEC Kit 258.
O'Connor, Lisa, Comp.
SPEC Kit, n258 Jul 2000
The purpose of the survey for this SPEC (Systems and Procedures Exchange Center) Kit was to assess the current print corporate annual report collection practices of ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries, describe the effects of these collections, and recommend best practices for preserving these significant historical documents. The survey was distributed to the 121 ARL member institutions in March 2000, and 86 responses (71%) were received. Of these respondents, 47 (55%) currently collect annual reports in their original print format. The majority of responding libraries (64%) collect annual reports for between 300 and 500 companies. All of these collections include for-profit corporations and many include both local (72%) and international (64%) corporations. Only a few of the responding libraries (26%) have formal, written selection policies for their annual report collections. Most libraries (60%) reported that the maintenance of the annual report collection is greater than "a small commitment." Seventy-four percent of respondents acquire reports through locally maintained mailing lists. Only 11% of responding libraries utilize an annual report ordering service. Library support staff (77%) and student assistants (45%) are most likely to be involved in the labor of maintaining annual reports collections, although many libraries indicated that the work is a cooperative venture. Most responding libraries (58%) provide some type of finding mechanism for their collections. Most annual reports are not circulated (68%), and usage statistics are not collected in an overwhelming majority (83%) of cases. When asked to rate the importance of print annual reports to their business collections, 19 libraries (40%) rated them as very important or important. Nearly all respondents mentioned the convenience of print annual reports to the user. The historical value of annual reports was the second most frequently cited reason for maintaining print collections, particularly for local companies. Thirty-eight percent of the libraries indicated that they are currently considering the elimination or significant reduction of their print annual report collections. The survey is included with results for the 25 questions that covered selection, acquisition, management, and assessment/evaluation. Representative documents are provided from ARL libraries for the areas of archival projects; selection policies; maintenance procedures; and general collection descriptions and finding aids. Selected resources include books and journal articles, annual report archives, annual report ordering services, annual report Web sites, and investor relations organizations. (AEF)
ARL Publications Distribution Center, P.O. Box 531, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0531 ($30 members; $40 nonmembers). Tel: 301-362-8196.
Publication Type: Collected Works - Serials; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC. Office of Leadership and Management Services.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: SPEC Flyer not included with this SPEC Kit. Published six times per year.