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

Responsibility

• Where does the responsibility lie?
  o Who is ultimately responsible?
  o Who has been delegated?
• Position or title
  o Head librarian, no names mentioned

Method of selection

• Individual?
• Committee?
• Centrally prepared list?
  o in schools
• Guidelines
  o e.g. reviewing sources
  o make thoughtful decisions

Miscellaneous items
How do you handle the following items?

• Gifts
• Weeding or discards
• Evaluation
• Complaints and censorship

A library must have a policy regarding complaints and censorship.

• Cooperative Development Programs
  Co-operate with network and other schools
• Revision
  How often?
  Public input?

Sample collection development policies
York University http://www.library.yorku.ca/ccm/Home/About/ContactSubjectSpecialists.htm
in depth
Vancouver Public Library http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/about/details/collection_development_policy
forward thinking
Portage la Prairie School Division http://www.plpsd.mb.ca/division/bookand.htm
McGill University http://www.mcgill.ca/librarycollectionservices/policies/
similar to special library, very in depth