Description
Business databases present librarians a variety of unique challenges. Between unclear faculty information needs, the high costs of resources for a potentially low ROI, and the constant pressure to support evolving curricula as well as research agendas, it is difficult for business librarians to effectively steward their budget allocation in a way that meets their program's need. This lightning talk introduces one strategic, low-cost benchmarking approach: using your business school's Comparative, Competitive, and Aspirant Institutions list they create as part of the accreditation process for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). By examining what resources peer and aspirant institutions subscribe to, librarians can identify collection gaps, strengthen resource proposals, and align acquisitions with institutional ambitions. Attendees will walk away with practical methods for identifying and using AACSB peer data (or alternatives approaches if not accredited), tips for integrating findings into budget justifications, and a renewed perspective on how to navigate collection development challenges strategically beyond the input of faculty.
Keywords
Collection Development, Business Librarian, Business Database, Business School, AACSB, Comparative, Competitive, Aspirant, Accreditation
Event Type
Lightning Talk
Recommended Citation
Yoakum, Ryan E., "Aspirational Alignment: Using the AACSB Comparative Institutions List to Inform Business Database Collection Development" (2025). Midwest Business Librarian Summit (MBLS). 5.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/mbls/2025/2025/5
Included in
Aspirational Alignment: Using the AACSB Comparative Institutions List to Inform Business Database Collection Development
Business databases present librarians a variety of unique challenges. Between unclear faculty information needs, the high costs of resources for a potentially low ROI, and the constant pressure to support evolving curricula as well as research agendas, it is difficult for business librarians to effectively steward their budget allocation in a way that meets their program's need. This lightning talk introduces one strategic, low-cost benchmarking approach: using your business school's Comparative, Competitive, and Aspirant Institutions list they create as part of the accreditation process for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). By examining what resources peer and aspirant institutions subscribe to, librarians can identify collection gaps, strengthen resource proposals, and align acquisitions with institutional ambitions. Attendees will walk away with practical methods for identifying and using AACSB peer data (or alternatives approaches if not accredited), tips for integrating findings into budget justifications, and a renewed perspective on how to navigate collection development challenges strategically beyond the input of faculty.