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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
1988
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED298963 |
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| _version_ | 1867181350432276481 |
|---|---|
| author | Ettelt, Harold |
| author_facet | Ettelt, Harold Ettelt, Harold |
| collection | Education Resources Information Center |
| contents | Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Books? Ettelt, Harold Academic Libraries Hypothesis Testing Information Dissemination Library Circulation Library Collections Library Research Statistical Surveys Two Year Colleges Use Studies This study tests the widely cited proposition that 20% of a library's books account for 80% of its circulation. Using data collected for a collection development survey, it was found that of the sample of 4,213 books, 799, or 19%, accounted for 79% of the circulation during 1987. In fact, 25% of the books accounted for all of the circulation that year, with the other 75% of the books remaining on the shelves. However, a smaller sample of circulating books was used to test the hypothesis that perhaps it was not the same 20% of the books circulating each year. A subsample of books was checked to see of they had circulated in 1986, 1987, or both years. Of a subsample of 2,737 books, 1,013, or 37%, accounted for all of the circulation for the two years, with 387, or 38%, circulating in 1986 only; 335, or 33%, circulating in 1987 only; and 291, or 29% circulating in both years. Put another way, of the 678 books circulated in 1986, fully 335, or 49%, did not circulate in the following year, their place being taken by books uncirculated in 1986. The text is supplemented by one table and two graphs. (EW) |
| format | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| id | eric_ED298963 |
| institution | ERIC Institute of Education Sciences |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 1988 |
| record_format | eric |
| spellingShingle | Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Books? Ettelt, Harold Academic Libraries Hypothesis Testing Information Dissemination Library Circulation Library Collections Library Research Statistical Surveys Two Year Colleges Use Studies Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Books? Ettelt, Harold Academic Libraries Hypothesis Testing Information Dissemination Library Circulation Library Collections Library Research Statistical Surveys Two Year Colleges Use Studies This study tests the widely cited proposition that 20% of a library's books account for 80% of its circulation. Using data collected for a collection development survey, it was found that of the sample of 4,213 books, 799, or 19%, accounted for 79% of the circulation during 1987. In fact, 25% of the books accounted for all of the circulation that year, with the other 75% of the books remaining on the shelves. However, a smaller sample of circulating books was used to test the hypothesis that perhaps it was not the same 20% of the books circulating each year. A subsample of books was checked to see of they had circulated in 1986, 1987, or both years. Of a subsample of 2,737 books, 1,013, or 37%, accounted for all of the circulation for the two years, with 387, or 38%, circulating in 1986 only; 335, or 33%, circulating in 1987 only; and 291, or 29% circulating in both years. Put another way, of the 678 books circulated in 1986, fully 335, or 49%, did not circulate in the following year, their place being taken by books uncirculated in 1986. The text is supplemented by one table and two graphs. (EW) |
| title | Does the 80/20 Rule Apply to Books? |
| topic | Academic Libraries Hypothesis Testing Information Dissemination Library Circulation Library Collections Library Research Statistical Surveys Two Year Colleges Use Studies |
| url | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED298963 |