Exploring Concepts of “Collection” in the Digital World

This paper describes an ongoing doctoral research project, supported by the British Library and titled “Conceptualising the library collection for the digital world: a case study of social enterprise.” Relatively little has been written about the conceptual ideas associated with collection in a library context. Based on interview and survey data collected from library and information practitioners, people working in social enterprises, faculty members, and policymakers, three interpretations of “collection” are suggested: “collection as thing”, “collection as access,” and “collection as process.” The paper proposes a revised collection development hierarchy which incorporates these three concepts, outlining the potential impact of these ideas on collection development strategies, tactics, and operations in the digital world.