1. List and describe at least two activities related to collection development.

Weeding: The process of going through and finding books that are out of date, in poor shape, or
are not being checked out very often and removing them from the library’s collection.

Shelf-reading: The process of going through and making sure the items are located in the correct
area, often including a holdings list to identify lost, missing, stolen, or misplaced items.

2. List and describe at least two activities related to acquisitions.

Ordering: the process of deciding what books are needed in the library, and placing the criteria
on a plan to send to a jobber.

Evaluating Donations: Examining books that have been donated to the library, and deciding if
they are in good enough condition, and the book is something appropriate for the shelves.

3. How do critical reviews for a book or e-book published in library trade periodicals
such as Kirkus Reviews differ from user-generated comments found on Amazon.com
and Goodreads.com?

Reviews in trade periodicals are guaranteed to be written by people who have in mind what
librarians need to know when ordering books. They would be sure to touch on if the book is
appropriate for the age range it is written for, and from a more objective standpoint. There is no
‘quality control’ on reviews on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com, it is the customer and their
own opinion. While they have their use, there is no guarantee that they will have the information
the librarian needs.

4. Find out the names of five jobbers active in the library trade, and name them. 

Ingram, Blackwell, Mackin, BWI, and Brodart.

5. What are the main differences and similarities in the services they offer?

Jobbers in general are how libraries get the books they put on the shelves. Many jobbers offer what is
known as an ‘approval plan’, where the library submits a criteria of what they want and the jobbers sent
the libraries a selection of books fitting that criteria. The librarians then decide which books to keep, and
the remainder are sent back without penalty. Some jobbers specialize in a specific category of books, such
as fantasy or cookbooks.
There are also ‘standing orders’, in which the library indicates they will automatically order a new edition
of a certain title.
Some jobbers offer a lease of new editions, so that a library can stock up on a new and popular book, and
then return the extra copies once popularity has waned.