Living in the library world: Collection development policies

Library workers may not have to develop a policy if there is one in existence in their library. They may be involved in tweaking one though.
Written or unwritten?

Reasons for not writing
o Change in focus from ownership to access to
* Give reasons
o Time consuming
* Hard to maintain with ever-changing world
Reasons for writing
o rationalization for choices
* why do you require those materials?
o staff changes
* have documentation to explain how and why something is done

Purposes

Guides all activities related to planning, budgeting, selecting and acquiring library materials
Describes why a collection exists and what the collection will contain

Uses of a collection development policy

Informs everyone about the nature and scope of the collection
Informs everyone of the collecting priorities
o what areas need to be supported?
Forces thinking about organizational priorities’ for the collection
o think of the library first
Generates some degree of commitment to meeting the organizational goals
o says why are you there, what you are doing, and how you are doing it
Sets standards for inclusion and exclusion
Reduces the influence of a single selector as well as personal biases
Provides a training and orientation tool for new staff
o use as a reminder, work consistencies
Helps insure a degree of consistency over time
Guides staff in handling complaints
o respect policy, value concern
Aids in weeding and evaluating the collection
Aids in rationalizing budget allocations
Provides a public relation document
Provides a means of assessing overall performance of the collection development program
Provides outsiders with information about the purpose of collection development (an accountability tool)

G. Edward Evans. Developing Library and Information Center Collections, 3rd ed., (Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1995, 80)

Elements within a collection development policy

Introduction
o or overview, purpose
General collection management and development policies
o Who is legally responsible? Will needs be met? How will they be met?
Detailed analysis of subjects collections
o What materials will be collected?
Detailed analysis of special collections
Collection levels and language codes
o What level/language will you collect in?
Indexes
o Find out what is in collection
Miscellaneous items
o Certain statement of items

Detailed analysis of subject collections

Conspectus approach
Mainly university. Works well. Might work well in a school library, definitely would in another academic library. Don’t buy ‘personal collections”
o Standard breakdowns of classification scheme
o Columns indicating collection strength, current collection intensity, desired collection intensity and languages covered
Narrative statement approach
o Broad subject headings and statements outlining collection development policies

Collection levels

0 = Out of scope
1 = Minimal level
2 = Basic level
3 = Study or instructional support level
4 = Research level
5 = Comprehensive level

Language codes

E = English
(English language predominates. Little or no foreign material in the collection)
P = French is the primary language

Other criteria

Chronological period covered
o How old/current will material need to be
Level of writing or presentation
o designated level to collect for
Authority of author/publisher
o Are they highly respected in their field? Are they well known? Have they done their research?
Format
o Print? Hardcover? Paperback?
Price
o What is a reasonable price to pay? This is important.
Geographic areas
o Schools, Canada based/slant
Demand/user need
o Buy multiple copies for advance ordering, e.g. Oprah Winfrey’s Picks