1. LIS 26 Collection Management in Academic Libraries Student’s Text Lesson 4 Selection and De-selection of Library Materials

2. Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson, the students will: Understand the importance of a vibrant and valuable collection through materials selection and de-selection. Be familiar with the various approaches to de- selection or weeding of materials used in different types of libraries.

3. Outline 1)Selection Theories 2)Selection Criteria for Specific Types of Library Materials 3)De-selection or Weeding of Library Materials

4. Collection development is: – Identification – Selection – Acquisition – Evaluation... of a collection of library resources

5. Five Laws of Librarianship S.R. Ranganathan—Library Book Selection (1952, rpt. 1990) Books are for use (I will build collections not for vanity but for use) Every book its reader (I will add useful items to the collection and make them accessible to all) Ever reader his book (I will be the connection between the users of my library and the materials they need) Save the time of the reader (I will always bear in mind that the time of library users is precious) The library is a growing organism (I will remember that libraries grow and develop and will plan accordingly)

6. Five Laws of Librarianship- Gorman Libraries serve humanity (I will derive my reward from service to humanity) Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated (I will resist pressure to deny one useful format to patrons, in favor of another) Use technology intelligently to enhance service (I will use technology when it is useful, affordable, and cost effective) Protect free access to knowledge (I will use technology to support and increase free access to knowledge, not to deny it to the world’s have-nots) Honor the past and create the future (I will give library users what they want — balance between the old and the new)

7. Selection Theories Lionel R. McColvin—The Theory of Book Selection for Public Libraries (1925) Arthur Bostwick. The American Public Library (1929) Francis Drury—Book Selection (1930) Helen Haines—Living With Books (2nd ed., 1950) Arthur Curley and Dorothy Broderick—Building Library Collections (6th ed., 1985) David Spiller—Book Selection: An Introduction To Principles And Practice (4th ed., 1986) Robert Broadus—Selecting Materials For Libraries (2nd ed., 1981) William A. Katz— Collection Development: The Selection of Materials for Libraries (1980) Richard K. Gardner—Library Collections: Their Origins, Selection, and Development (1981) William A. Wortman—Collection Management: Background and Principles (1989)

8. Quality vs. demand – Which statements are true? −Libraries are funded by users therefore we should provide high demand items that the public wants −Libraries should provide materials that raise the cognitive level of the user (library as people’s university)

9. Stay current News Events Popular culture trends TV, Movies, Theatre Talk radio Current best sellers Visiting artists, authors

10. Selection Criteria Subject matter −What weaknesses exist in the collection? −How suitable are subject, style, reading level? −How accurate is the information? Potential use −What kind of demand is there? −What level of use justifies purchase? −How relevant is it to my community?

11. Selection Relation to the collection −How will item strengthen, fill a gap, complement the collection? −Are the materials available elsewhere in the community? −Is there fair coverage of opposing viewpoints?

12. Selection Bibliographic considerations Reputation of the publisher Is the type of publication or format appropriate to your library? What is the reputation/significance of the author? What do book reviews say? Book club edition? Bookstore editions

13. Selection Cost −Expense vs. worth −Ranking materials for worthiness −Prioritize by collection need Construction quality −Is the item well made? −What is the paper and print quality? Scholastic −Will it stand up to multiple uses?

14. Books Fiction What are community interests and needs? What is library mission statement? −What is guideline for multiple copies? How much space do I have to allocate? Should I have books from all major authors, or just some? −How do you decide? −What is the impact on or in spite of the consortium?

15. Authority of author/publisher Currency Duplication Scope Interest level Organization Nonfiction Format Special features Cost Accuracy Impartiality

16. Selection tools Book reviews −descriptive and evaluative −compare with other works −be aware of the objectivity of the reviewer

17. Limitations of book reviews −length of time between publication and review −small % of books actually published −small presses often not reviewed −many books only reviewed by one source

18. Selecting AV materials – Why do we collect audiovisual stuff? −Requirements −Provide audio and music for sampling and listening −Provide appropriate materials to people who require graphic displays for comprehension −Provide people with access to scores, games etc to support educational pursuits How do you decide what is educational?

19. Selection Criteria for AV – Consider primary users −What is the available budget? −Durability? −Visual and audio quality? −Ease of repair if damaged? −Type of equipment required to view or listen? −Likelihood of technology to last?

20. Video and DVD materials −Expensive −Require machine to view −Short lifespan (VHS) −Easily damaged −Popular for short time - much like bestsellers

21. Video considerations – What is the level of violence, comedy, sexual content? – What is the age appropriateness? – What message is conveyed by the video? – Does your library act as a video store? – Use your library Mission statement, philosophy of board as guidelines

22. Audio considerations – How does the audio collection support your library goals? −Do you duplicate or supplement print titles? – Does the collection focus on certain genres? – Will you collect complete works or abridged versions? – How durable is the product (cassette vs. CD) – What is overall quality of the recording?

23. Periodical purchasing considerations Build core collection by addressing −general needs collection −need for currency −costs cost to bind photocopy use back issues/claims time consuming _and_ expensive

24. Periodical selection What is the intended: Scope −who are the editors, publishers, associations? Audience −how do you know what it is? Examine table of contents, publisher, vocabulary, writers, contributors Purpose −does it fill a need for your patrons?

25. Periodical criteria Local interest Accuracy- how do you know this? Indexes- where is the title indexed? Cost - consider all the costs involved Demand - can you justify its use? −Is the use so low that you can get issues from within the consortium? What do you have in print vs. what is available online? −How do you verify this?

26. Comics – Evaluating −Genre. Super-hero and fantasy titles continue to be most prevalent but also consider: sci fi humor realistic fiction other styles

27. Languages other than English – How do you start building the collection? −How is it different from building any collection? – Is it different? – Do community analysis – Address the collection in your policies −Defend the expenditure which may appear to serve a limited population −Does the policy address serving segments of the population? – Estimate current and potential users that will benefit

28. Other languages Do you have staff that are trained or capable of meeting the needs of a non-English community? −Could a community member assist you in the input of selection of materials? −Could a community member assist in programming?Get you in touch with someone who could?

29. Selection Criteria for Electronic Resources Special problems: administrative costs and effort vendor reliability technical hardware software requirements quality and authenticity of scholarly texts

30. Other considerations Censorship Spam Copyright Access Literacy

31. ACQUISITIONS Advent of automated processing Minimizes or eliminates detail-intensive and repetitive work Enhances integrated library systems Time-sharing services from bibliographic utilities or vendors.

32. Online Bookstores Amazon.com"earth's biggest bookstore", which is a full-service online bookstore providing lists of best-sellers, award-winners, and excerpts from review sources. Amazon.com – "earth's biggest bookstore", which is a full-service online bookstore providing lists of best-sellers, award-winners, and excerpts from review sources. Barnes and offers over one million books that can be searched for and purchased over the Internet. Barnes and Noble – offers over one million books that can be searched for and purchased over the Internet. alt.bookstore – which claims two million books in its inventory and allows you to search for books by subject. alt.bookstore – which claims two million books in its inventory and allows you to search for books by subject.

33. Smith and Johnson suggest that libraries "reverse the approach that they have followed throughout the print era: rather than buying as much as they possibly can to respond to any present or potential need, they should: "acquire only the most heavily and regularly used material for processing and retention“. Single criterion should be: current user satisfaction, with a goal of fast and effective delivery or access, NOT OWNERSHIP Radical change to policy

34. Subscription cost of e-journals Several publishers provide packages of all their electronic journals at a reasonable cost. Cost for online licenses can vary a great deal from library to library. Publishers often tailor the price to an institution's budget, based on anticipated or real use.

35. Group Discounts – they can get their journals into more libraries Through a consortium/library networks at practically no additional cost. If you do not participate in a consortial buying club, consider affiliating with one in a neighboring library. “Pay-Per-View" service provided by vendors such as ingenta, First Search, or EBSCO; or to activate and subsidize a mediated or unmediated article-delivery feature using a deposit account.

36. Activity 4.1 Selection Criteria Go back to the person in charge of collection management in the library you went to in Activity 1.1. Refer to Activity 4.1 document for the questions to ask regarding the library’s selection process.

37. Weeding – Why weed? – Weeding is part of the continual evaluation of the collection based on community need and goals. – Collections change within the framework of those needs and goals.

38. De-selection and weeding Why is it necessary? −Keep plants a particular size » Space on shelves means easier browsing −Remove diseased parts, broken and injured parts Duty to provide current information, if its on the shelf its worthy to have If its torn, crumbly or soiled- get rid of it −Develop certain shapes, forms You need a plan to shape plants, growth creates imbalance

39. De-selection and weeding – Encourage best growth » Careful pruning promotes growth. » New colorful materials on shelves promotes use. – Rejuvenate declining plants » Is there a problem subject area? » Is it rarely used? Can it be eliminated? – Pruning and weeding are an ongoing process

40. Benefits to weeding – Save shelf space – Save search time in database – Circ ulation increases as remaining items are visible! – Collection quality improves- unreliable info GONE! Librarians doing weeding gain better understanding of weeded area! Better reference service as staff discover new or forgotten resources! Reputation and usability of collection is enhanced! False or dangerous information is eliminated!

41. Reasons for not weeding – Not enough time – Just cannot throw anything away! – What if someone needs what I just pitched? – No money to replace weeded material – Weeding will leave nothing on the shelves – What if something valuable gets thrown out? – Weeding means that a mistake was made in ordering – Status of a “large” collection

42. When should we weed? One time per year −Schedule sections by class number or by collections When new items can no longer be shelved for lack of space! Every time items are returned

43. Criteria For Weeding Misleading or factually inaccurate Ugly (worn out beyond mending) Superseded by a newer edition Trivial ( no literary or scientific merit) Irrelevant to community needs Elsewhere (borrowed elsewhere)

44. Weeding fiction Is this novel still asked for? Is the book part of a series? −If you have one of the series? Will this item circ if I add it to a display? Is the author still writing?

45. Weeding fiction – If w/d a title based on condition, can it be replaced with a more attractive copy? – Am I unfamiliar with this genre? – Do I need to look up core authors? – Is it up to date in style, setting? −Does it matter?

46. Weeding fiction – Has the item circulated in two years? – Worn titles are worth replacing! Someone is reading them! (use the circ reports to determine) – Series titles are often meant to be read in order- try to maintain the complete run! −If the first title in the series circs but not the rest of the series- consider weeding!

47. Weeding Nonfiction General/Computer Info −computer info outdated in 3 years Philosophy and psychology −popular titles outdated 2-3 years Religion and mythology −does religion collection reflect your community? −keep current, high turnover rate

48. Weeding Nonfiction Social sciences −replace almanacs every 2 years −circ older almanacs no more than 3-5 years −check law and government for accuracy (school reports) −watch balance of controversial topics Languages −foreign and ESL high use, replace as necessary based on community needs

49. Weeding Nonfiction Pure sciences −retain basic historical works (Darwin) but continuously replace outdated Applied sciences −health /medical change rapidly −consider danger of misinformation on shelves −keep all collector and repair model books Arts and Recreation −keep art and history until worn out −evaluate for accuracy though

50. Weeding Nonfiction Literature −Keep most recent editions and best condition −Form literary criticism booklist from local school lists Elementary and high school have different needs History/travel/biography −Evaluate for demand, accuracy, interpretation −Strive for balance of perspective −Travel books 2 years −Biography- stay current with popular figures

51. Young Adult and Children’s Selection Do not buy abridged copies when original is readily available Use adult criteria for nonfiction Replace worn-out classics Avoid flimsy bindings (Scholastic, DK) Buy picture books based on good illustrations YA- look for oversimplification and avoid it Avoid the following pubs:

52. Weeding Reference – Encyclopedias −Annual replacement −City directories keep for genealogical purposes (but shelve in different location) – Do you have to buy directories? −Most are available online! – Vertical File −Only current year

53. Weeding reference Dictionaries, atlases −as new editions become available replace Magazines and Newspapers −1-3 years current −transfer to microfilm or digitize - keep forever

54. Activity 4.2 Weeding Collections In this activity you will begin to analyze how to weed your library collection. Refer to Activity 4.2 document for the questions to answer regarding weeding.