Collection Development Class #6

TCB Guest speaker today Oct. 28 th class at ARHS Library 21 Mattoon St., Amherst, MA Nov. 18 th guest speaker Switch assignments for 10/28 (will now be Facilities and Technology, including circ/cat systems) and 11/18 (will now be Budget, Communications & Advocacy) WikiWikiWikiWiki posts 50% check-in

√ Deliver the Right Information √ To the Right Person √ At the Right Time √ In the Right Format √ And, in the Right Location Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program, 2 nd Ed. David V. Loertscher To build a collection is to…

A Collection is… … a physical entity. (online???) …contains materials in various formats. …serves school goals and programs and meets all users’ informational and personal needs. …includes resource sharing. …is only one element of the library media program.

More than books “It is crucial to understand that the availability of information in an electronic format does not reduce costs but rather shifts them.” “Knowing who is using what, for what purposes, and how often, as well as knowing what sources exist that can supply the information in the most cost-effective way, is the keystone of present and foreseeable collection development work.” Evans, G. Edward and Saponaro, Margaret Zarnosky. Developing library and Information Center Collections. Fifth ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited 2005 p. 5.

Collection development is… The process of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a library’s materials collection in terms of patron needs and community resources… Evans, G. Edward and Saponaro, Margaret Zarnosky. Developing library and Information Center Collections. Fifth ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited 2005 p. 7.

Preparation Storage Interpretation Utilization Dissemination (END) Identification (START) Selection Acquisition Organization Collection Operations

Selection: a professional responsibility …the process of deciding which materials to acquire for a library collection Multiple items on same topic Information value vs. price Durability, longevity

How do I know what they want? Use fill-in forms (print and online) Have a clipboard on circulation desk Attend conferences and vendors hall shows when possible Read, read, read reviews! Ask students and staff!! BUT REMEMBER, ONLY YOU HAVE THE BIG PICTURE OF THE COLLECTION AND CAN MAKE THE FINAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO PURCHASE.

3 Elements Collection development – looking at the big picture Selection – looking for the best materials Acquisition – obtaining materials in timely, cost-efficient manner

Standards for Collections H.W. Wilson’s Children’s Catalog Middle and Jr. High Senior High

Benchmarks Sagebrush Follett How does your collection measure up to an “ideal” collection. Copyright date, # volumes, topics

Collection Development Policies ACQWeb’s Directory of Collection Development Policies on the Web Resources for school libraries #top #top WMRLS

Why have a policy? Defines nature and scope of collection Defines collecting priorities Forces thinking about organizational policies Sets standards for inclusion/exclusion Ensures consistency Guides in handling complaints Aids in weeding and collection evaluation Rationalizes budget expenditures

Selection Materials should: Be directly tied to teaching and curriculum Serve range of student abilities Involve collaboration with teachers

Selection Aids BooklistNew York Times School Library JournalPublishers’ Weekly Horn BookChoice Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Multicultural Review of Books

Selection Web Sites Multicultural Resources for Children School Libraries Online Children’s Literature Web Guide Amazon. COM – All things to all people – even librarians. Reviews of books, inside the book…Amazon. COM

Types of Publishers Trade Mass market Professional University Presses Specialty

Vendors and Discounts Baker and Taylor Ingram Follett Sagebrush WMRLS buying co-op

Other options to consider Circulation In-house usage ILL Preservation - bindery

Periodicals Jobbers –Ebsco –Magazine Subscription Service How long to keep? Keep subscription if available on-line? Circulation

Standards 20 titles per students 70% within last 10 years Minimum 6,000 volumes Periodicals: HS: MS: Elem: 21-35

Professional Collection Depend on staff and admin. for suggestions Interlibrary loan collections that have access to teacher’s materials, ERIC, etc. Include sample textbooks, curriculum guides, catalogs, etc. Locate in an easily identifiable place Update continuously PR PR PR PR PR PR with staff, school and district admin

Cataloging heresy Q.What do you do with a square peg and a round hole? A.Make a new square hole. ARHS Professional Collection cataloging Q.How do I avoid original cataloging? A.Download from online sources. Sources of downloadable records

Non-print WWW – can info be counted on to always be there? Subscription data bases –Hidden costs: paper, toner, hardware, support DVD/VHS/ebooks/ipods/streaming – at what point do you adopt new technologies?

More considerations Location and arrangement Repair, rebinding Inventorying Policy for equipment maintenance and replacement

Weeding Crew method (Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding) ng1.pdf Sunlink WMRLS What

Obstacles to Weeding Procrastination Staff resistance Negative reactions of users and administration Reluctance to admit selection mistakes

More obstacles to weeding Time consuming Cost “Sacred” quality of books FEAR “Anything is better than nothing”

Weeding tips “Spot” weed every day. Weed thoroughly every three to four years. Keep a running record of areas that have been weeded. ALA recommends weeding 5% annually

How to dispose of items Remove all identifying school markings School policy Offer some titles to staff and students (Be careful here!!!) Reader to Reader Federally funded materials Dumpster

Don’t be surprised…