Collection Development Resources

1
Collection Development Resources

• Hélène Golden
• hgolden_at_sols.org
• 1-877-532-2901

2
Collection Development Elements

• Assess your community
• Look at present users and their interests
• Write a Collection Development Policy
• Assess the present collection
• Write collection statements or profiles
• Develop budgetary goals or targets
• Plan for the maintenance of the ideal collection

3

• Assessing your community and your users is
  normally a part of the strategic planning process
• A librarys collection should advance and support
  the strategic plan

4
Policy work

• Policies supply the framework for decision making
• They should be strategic, and big-picture
  oriented
• Elements required in a good policy are
• Purpose
• Responsibility
• Criteria for selection
• Gifts and donations
• Collection maintenance
• Requests for reconsideration
• Statement of Intellectual Freedom

5
Policy work

• http//www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/accreditat
  ion/selectedsamplepolicies/index.htmCollection

6
Collection evaluation

• Part of the ongoing cycle of collection
  maintenance and development
• Various methodologies available
• SOLS offers hands-on assistance for collection
  evaluations, including quantitative, qualitative,
  and organizational overviews
• The clearinghouse has a variety of reports
  available
• http//www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/collection
  dev/index.htmEvaluation

7
Core Collections

• These lists of core collections might be valuable
  for libraries
• Use your knowledge of your community and their
  interests to guide your decisions when using core
  lists
• The Clearinghouse has a variety of core lists
• http//www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/collection
  dev/index.htmCore

8
Verification Tools

• The standard for verification used to be Books in
  Print
• Now, big box books stores fulfill much of the
  requirements of a verification tool
• Dont forget the INFO database, which is open to
  all for searching
• http//www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/collection
  dev/index.htmVerification
• http//info.hostedbyfdi.net/en/vdx/index.html

9
Weeding guidelines

• Weeding is an essential part of collection
  development
• Weeding is often put off, to the detriment of the
  overall collection
• The Clearinghouse has a variety of resources
  available, from guidelines, to policies and
  procedures
• http//www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/collection
  dev/index.htmWeeding