Academic librarians’ role in gatekeeping: The influence of vendor labeling on academic library collections

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of one corporate book vendor on collection holdings in seven Carnegie Class L academic libraries in the areas of practice of education and educational administration. The study uses the communicative rationality theory of Habermas (1989), the habitus work of Bourdieu (1988; 1993), and the gatekeeping theory of Lewin (1947) as theoretical frameworks for explaining how book vendors serve as a connection between organizations and individuals and the librarian’s gatekeeping role in collection development. Analysis of variance was used to measure overall congruence. Library employee size, vendor-supplied categories, and vendor-supplied labels were examined utilizing chi square test of analysis. While statistically significant difference was found in an overall analysis of the book holdings, no significant difference was found in examinations of the vendor-supplied categories nor vendor-supplied labels indicating congruence and the influence of the book vendor on book collections. Findings were mixed in the analyses involving number of library employees. Smaller academic libraries of 69 or fewer employees had significantly different collections than the two larger groups of libraries. Academic libraries with 70 to 95 employees and academic libraries with 96 or more employees did not have statistically different book collections indicating congruence. Book vendors were found to work at the routine level of analysis and to act as intermediaries who create legitimizing structures that influenced book selection.