Managing Media Services: Theory and Practice William D. Schmidt Donald Arthur Rieck Chapter 5 Managing Media Materials Services ETEC 579 Dr. Jason Lee Davis Adapted from a presentation by Angela Homan

Managing Media Materials Services In this chapter, you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about …  Ordering  Processing  Circulating …materials and equipment!

The Media Center’s materials collection often includes : Materials showing motion Audio materials Sound and projected still images Other materials (models, kits) Print materials

As well as storing materials, the media center must establish policies and procedures to facilitate their selection, processing, circulation, and maintenance.

5 Steps to a Happy Media Center Determine collection needs Select appropriate materials Develop appropriate technical processing procedures Develop effective and efficient circulation procedures Develop materials maintenance procedures

Determine collection needs by… Soliciting client advice Cost of media Equipment needed Simplicity to use User familiarity However, the ultimate choice is that of the Media Manager.

Selecting Appropriate Materials Develop criteria to facilitate the selection process (written policy should exist) What should your policy include? (each one will be different)

Questions Guiding a Selection Policy What content area should the collection cover? What media format(s) will be included? How will materials be evaluated prior to purchasing? What criteria will be used to evaluate quality?

Questions Guiding a Selection Policy Will professional review sources be used in the evaluation process? Does potential use of the material justify the cost? Are multiple copies needed? Are similar materials already available in the existing collection?

Now that you have a policy, it is time to select materials!

Locating Sources for Instructional/Training Materials Catalogs Brochures Professional Journals/Periodicals Advertisements/Reviews Workshops/Conferences Client input

Materials Evaluation Procedure (typical) “Do it yourself” plan - media manager/staff evaluate materials Materials are purchased without evaluation All requested materials obtained for preview Only materials most often rented are purchased Only materials highly recommended by professional review sources are ordered for preview or purchase A review committee is used

Evaluation Forms… KISS Keep It Short & Simple

Technical Processes Acquisitions Ordering, Tracking, Receiving, Payment Processing Inspection, viewing, functional test, defective returns, ID tagging Cataloging Classification - Systematic arrangement Catalog – Total collection index

Non-Print Materials Non-print media should be shelved elsewhere in the collection. Monitoring and access will be much easier if housed in a separate area. Also, machinery needed to use this media can be stored nearby.

Circulation Procedures Reference & Retrieval Scheduling & Booking/Check-out Delivery Patron Use Check-in Inspection Billing

Maintaining the Collection Keeping the Collection in Good Physical Condition Start with quality material Clean regularly Provide instructions for accurate use and care of materials

Maintaining the Collection Keeping the Collection Current Weeding - the process of removing materials from a collection (10% a year) Age of the material Circulation statistics Physical condition Patron and collection needs

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