Digital collections remain a priority for the library, especially with the move to online learning this past year. The majority of our purchasing power is now invested in electronic collections.
Although the Library was closed for the entirety of the 2020/21 fiscal year, Langara community members never lost access to the Library's physical collection. Over 1,700 items were accessed through contactless pick-up facilitated by the Library's Borrower Services team.
Online article downloads decreased slightly from recent years, but remained relatively stable compared to historical trends.
With total expenditures on Library collections now reaching half a million dollars, the library increasingly leverages the scalability of electronic resources, including online databases of journal articles, ebooks and streaming videos, to meet the needs of students where and when they are, be it in the Library on a break from class, or in the middle of the night at home while working to complete an assignment due the following day.
The Library’s collection is developed in consultation with the Langara community, with liaison librarians assigned to each of the college’s departments. Collections staff employ an evidence based approach to determine the needs of specific divisions, departments and courses, seeking to support Langara’s curriculum.
