Thinking “Scientifically” about Collection Development

Copyright, Content, Cultural, Racial,

Condition Age, Subject, Topic Curriculum Circulation Classics Ethnic, Gender Community Copies
Currency (Dewey) Representation

Dated illustrations CREW –

Disability? Accuracy,
inside and cover Continuous
expertise, respect,
Review Evaluation
purpose, quality
& Weeding
Purpose/
Illustrations, significance/
Weeding – a storyline, setting uniqueness of
continuous setting?
process
Stereotypical
Date, dated? speech,
appearance,
behaviors?
Llifestyles
Analyze your Are non-white
collection using an characters too
Cultural, Racial, Character traits, good or too bad
objective collection Collection Relationships,
Ethnic, Gender to be true?
tool, i.e., Titlewise, Development stereotypes
Representation
Title Source,
Wilson
Cover art
represents storyline, Is the character a
characters? singleton?

Who are the

Your Collection
heroes, villains?
Development Plan
(CDP)
Qualifications?
Author’s point of Definition of
Sources of
view; bias beauty
information?
How and
why is race
Evaluated? defined?
Power distribution

9 Critical Cs above Creating ordering

Online? Print? Budget Numbers (8,000,
apply to developing a lists of desired
Other? Constraints 12,000, 18,000)
collection also. resources

Collection Dev. Your

Student Wish Lists Faculty Wish Lists Reviews from high
Spreadsheets Collection
quality resources (SLJ,
Dev.
LJ, Booklist, HornBook,
Analysis
Multicultural Review)
Start an Advisory
Committee Evaluated?
Suggestions from
publishers and online
vendors