3.

3 Elements of a Collection Development Policy

A collection development policy consists of three elements: an overview; details of the subject
areas and formats collected; and miscellaneous element.
Element one (an overview) contains a brief description of the service community, specific
identification of the service clientele, a general statement regarding the parameters of the

must meet. Element two (details of subject areas and formats) identifies the subject areas and the
types of the materials to be collected and the primary user group for each subject. It also specifies
the selection criteria and who is to select, the scope and the level of intensity at which the subjects
would be acquired and information regarding the language,
publication date, and the formats appropriate for acquisition. Element three (the
Miscellaneous issues) deals with gifts and discards, evaluation, and complaints and
censorship.
One of the functions of a collection development policy is to inform everyone about the
nature and scope of the collection, collection priorities, and purpose of collection
development process. A written policy may not serve its purpose if it is not communicated to the
people (staff and users). A policy that is in electronic format is easy to communicate to the public
through the Internet or the Intranet of the organization.
3.4 Strategies for Developing a Collection Development Policy
When you are creating a collection development policy, you should plan to:

1. Identify the community user group- Education levels, numbers, frequency of use
2. Identify user needs and services/programs by user group- Education, recreational, research and
internet needs
3. Identify services and programs- Bibliographic instruction, research units, book chats, book
clubs, database use (for example)
4. Describe the collection- Size (how many new items need to be acquired per year, types of items
to be collected), formats to be collected, policy on purchasing duplicates, and policy on multi-
cultural acquisitions, etc.
5. Describe policies on controversial materials and reconsideration
6. Explain who is responsible for the selection of books.
7. Describe the process of collection maintenance and the weeding of information

3.5 Selection Policy

A selection policy serves many purposes including:

1.
2.
3. providing criteria for determining when materials will be weeded from the collection.
4. determining annual budget allocations.
5. use as a tool to combat censorship attempts.

3.5.1 Elements of a Selection Policy Document

 A well-written selection policy contains eight basic elements:

1. Statement of purpose of the selection policy

The selection policy should state succinctly what objectives the information centre is trying to
accomplish and how this will be achieved by providing more details on the specific objectives of
selection. It should clearly state the reasons why the information centre has a materials selection
policy.
Your overarching goal may be very broad. Below is an example of a purpose statement derived
from a university library:

Information materials shall be selected by the library to support the educational and research
needs of students and teaching staff of the University.
Materials selected must serve the breadth of the curriculum of all the courses offered by the
University, both internal and external.
The library shall be obligated to provide for a wide range of abilities and to respect the diversity
of many differing points of view. To this end, principles shall be placed above personal opinion
and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality and
appropriateness.

2. Responsibility for selection

The policy should state by professional position, the staff responsible for selecting information
materials. The policy should state exactly who is responsible for selection of materials. For
example, department heads, curriculum specialists, directors of curriculum and instruction or
librarians. While selection of materials involves many people, including administrators, lecturers,
students, and even community residents, the responsibility for coordinating and recommending the
selection and purchase of information materials should rest with designated personnel.
Sample statement of responsibility for a public library:

responsibility for selection of all print and non-print materials. Responsibilities for actual selection
shall rest with appropriate professionally trained personnel who shall discharge this obligation

involve representatives of the professional staff directly affected by the selections, and persons

3. Budget Allocation
This section states how funds will be allocated for collection development and what allocations
will be given for each subject area.
4. Criteria for Selection
This section deals with the broad requirements for including information materials in the
include
criteria, and the application of criteria, relevant to the information centre objectives: excellence
(artistic, literary, etc.), appropriateness to level of user, superiority in treatment of controversial
issues and ability to stimulate further intellectual and social development. Other criteria will
include: appropriateness, interest, content, and circumstances of use.
Where necessary, technical criteria example, clarity of sound in audio materials and
cinematography in videocassettes may also be included in the policy. Specific criteria should be
spelled out to guide all professionals involved in selection in deciding on specific items:

educational significance
contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the students
favorable reviews found in standard selection sources
favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by
professional personnel
reputation and significance of the author, producer, and publisher
validity, currency, and appropriates of material
contribution the material makes to breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial
issues
high degree of potential user appeal
high artistic quality and/or literary style
quality and variety of format
value commensurate with cost and/or need
timeliness or permanence
integrity

5. Description of the Selection Procedures

This should describe all steps from initial screening to final selection. It is important to list the type
of materials you collect, why you need them, and how you obtain them. Statements with regard to
reevaluation (weeding), replacing and repairing materials, etc should be included here.
Provisions for coordinating among departments and professionals working at different
learning levels, etc.; for handling recommendations from other faculty and students; and for
reviewing existing materials (for possible replacement, etc.) should also be included.
Also important to include is a partial list of selection aids (e.g., reviewing sources) as well as the
list of sources that should not be used.
Sample procedure statements:

In selecting learning resources, professional personnel will evaluate available resources

and curriculum needs and will consult reputable aids to selection, and other appropriate sources.
The actual resource will be examined whenever possible.
Recommendations for purchase involve administrators, lecturer, students and other
stakeholders, as appropriate.
Gift materials shall be judged by the selection criteria and shall be accepted or rejected by those
criteria.
Selection is an ongoing process that should include how to remove materials no longer
appropriate and how to replace lost and worn materials which may be deemed to still be of
educational value.
 Requests, suggestions, and reactions for the purchase of information materials shall be gathered
from staff to the greatest extent possible and students when appropriate.
Reviews of proposed acquisitions will be sought in the literature of reputable
professional organizations and other reviewing sources recognized for their objectivity and
wide experience.
Materials will be examined by professional staff to the extent necessary or practicable to apply
criteria.
Textbooks will be selected after examination by a representative from the affected faculty,
principals, curriculum specialists and others who have professional expertise in objective
evaluation of materials.
Digital materials are selected by the professional media staff with due regard to suggestions
from the faculty and students. Final selection is made by the information specialists.
Professionally recognized reviewing periodicals, standard catalogs, and other selection aids are
used by the information specialists and the faculty to guide them in their selection.

6. Gift Items
This section states the criteria used for adding gift items to the collection and how gifts will be
handled.
Sample statements:
The University Library will accept gifts and donations of information materials as well as cash
donations to buy information resources. The principal criterion for acceptance is that such
donations and gifts fall within the collection priorities. Thus materials will be accepted on a clear
understanding that:

The Library has control over what is kept and what is discarded.
The selection criteria will apply and only materials that enhance the collection are added.
The Library will organize and locate the donations according to its usual practice, unless there
is an agreement to the contrary.
All unwanted donations will be returned or disposed of as the library deems fit, including
offering them to libraries, library users or selling them off.

7. Weeding, Withdrawal/Deselection
This section states the criteria to be used for removing materials from the collection.
Sample statements:

made best use of, a periodic review of stocks will be done. Materials considered to be no longer
suitable to the collection or have ceased to be of use, due to their declining relevance to the current
or anticipated academic needs, may be withdrawn from the collection. The Librarian will be
guided by the weeding criteria below to identify materials
for withdrawal, then in consultation with the book representative; will
recommend their removal from the collection.
The guiding criteria for withdraw include the following:
 Evidence of low use i.e. an item has not been borrowed more than once in the past ten years.
The age of the item and lacks any historical value.
There is poor or no relevance to the teaching and research needs of the University
Existence of several duplicate copies and their use has declined
The resource gives or presents misleading or factually inaccurate information
Availability of later editions or access to alternate resources and the resources hold no historical
value to the discipline covered.
Prohibitive cost of continued subscription.
Poor condition of the item
Obsolescence or lack of equipment necessary to support use of the information materials

Non currency of the resource especially when the discipline demands up to date
information, for example, some topics in computer science, law and business studies need to be
current.
8. Steps for Handling Objections to Materials
This section states how the library/information centre will respond if an item is challenged. It
is important for libraries/information centres to have established policy for handling
objections to the selection and deselection on materials, even if that policy is to disregard any
public comment on the management of the collection. One of the basic reasons for having
established policies is to help ensure the maintenance of a collection that provides the information
that a community needs and protects free access of that information.
Sample statements:
Library will have the responsibility of ensuring that the selection and availability of information
resources are solely governed by professional and academic considerations. Therefore, it is
expected that there will be no promotion or suppression of opinions and beliefs expressed in the
materials, hence the library will not exclude, withdraw from availability, or restrict access to any
material because it is controversial or might be judged to be offensive by some, except on grounds
of illegality. However, in some cases such items
may be placed in restricted access to preserve them or protect copyright and/or
confidentiality.
CHAPTER FOUR: SELECTION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES
4.1 Introduction
Selection of information materials refers to the process of deciding which materials to add to the
collection taking cognizance of the needs of the users. It is this process that in essence determines
the nature of the collection in the library/information centre. The purpose of the selection process
is to ensure that useful and relevant materials are acquired to meet the needs of the users.
Traditionally, the selector develops a plan for identifying potential useful materials to acquire and
then conducts a search for the desired materials.
4.2 Criteria for Selection
The increasingly complex world in which we live now contains an abundance of information
choices print, electronic, image, sound, visual, and numeric. The issue now is no longer one of
not having enough information; it is just the opposite too much information available in various
formats and which of course, do not carry equal value. Information professionals therefore have
to use certain criteria for selecting the information resources for their collections. Some of the
criteria used for selection include:
4.2.1 Authority

Check a biographical source.

Read a critical review. A review will often give information about the author.

4.2.2 Accuracy

See if the author supports his or her statements with data or references to research.
Look at the end of the source for a bibliography or list of references.
Compare to other information sources.

4.2.3 Objectivity and Purpose

Get as much information as possible about the information material you want to acquire to know
if it is for good for audience you are targeting.
Determine whether the material is published by an organization with a particular purpose.
Determine whether the material provides a balanced view or promotes a particular viewpoint.
Determine the type of material: peer-reviewed, refereed, scholarly, academic, or popular
magazine.

4.2.4 Currency

Look at the date of publication.

Determine whether it is important to select current information materials for the users.

In fields such as medicine, science, business and technology, currency of information is important.
In fields such as history and literature, older materials may be just as valuable as newer ones.
4.2.5 Scope
In determining the scope of an information resource, you need to ask yourself a number of
questions:

Is it a general work that provides an overview of the topic or is it specifically focused on only
one aspect of your topic?

Does the resource cover the right time period that your users might be interested in?

4.2.6 Audience
Who is the intended audience for this source?
4.2.8 Other Criteria
In addition to the general selection criteria listed above, you may also choose to use the following
criteria when evaluating an item for purchase:
4.2.8.1 Criteria for Print Resources

Books are also evaluated on the following: size, quality of paper, suitability, clear typeface,
durable binding, and physical attractiveness.
Fiction is chosen based on the literary qualities of characterization, plot, setting, theme, and
writing style.
Magazines and newspapers are chosen based on how such media is indexed for ease of research.
Picture books are chosen based on unity of text and illustrations, quality of artwork and
appropriateness of medium to story.
Reference works are chosen based on ease of use (indexes, cross-references, illustrations),
revision policies, quality of supplements and yearbooks and currency of material.
Non-fiction is chosen based on accuracy, divergent viewpoints, relevant illustrations, special
features such as glossaries, indexes, and bibliographies that contribute to ease of use.
Biography is judged by the same criteria as nonfiction and, in addition, is selected on the basis
of its objectivity, documentation, and inclusion of vivid details that add interest to the story of

4.2.8.2 Criteria for Non-Print Resources

Electronic databases, which include CD-ROMS and online databases and may be bibliographic,
reference, or multimedia and are selected using the following criteria:

Cost/benefit considerations
Reasonable storage and maintenance costs
Availability of compatible hardware
Availability of user manuals and other documentation
Frequency of updates and newer editions
Staffing and expertise to install, maintain, and train users.
Value over other formats
Comparison with print and other electronic products
 Ease of installation and maintenance
Ease of access and use
Search features (subject, keyword, Boolean operators)
Response time
Network availability
Availability of support services by vendor

Audio-visual resources (video recordings, DVDs, etc.) are selected on the basis of format, content,
technical quality, ease of use, and durability as well as the general criteria listed above for all other
information materials. The format should be the most appropriate medium for the subject and the
content of the resource. Audiovisual resources must meet the same content criteria as printed
resources and must also be technically and artistically superior.
4.3 Tools for Selection
The increasingly complex world in which we live now contains an abundance of information
choices print, electronic, image, sound, visual and numeric. The issue is no longer one of not
having enough information; it is just the opposite too much information, in various formats each
of which has a different value. With the explosion of information increasing, it is necessary that
information professionals rely on some sources of information that may guide them in identifying
and choosing the right information materials for inclusion in their collections. These sources are
often referred to as selection tools. Some of the selection tools
commonly used by information professionals include: published lists, catalogs, flyers,
announcements, reviews, and bibliographies.
Information centres that do not use information technology in collection development rely heavily
on print-based selection tools. The problem with some of these print-based selection tools such as
reviews may generally take long to appear and they may not cover all the published materials.
Developments in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have made the selection of
materials more effective and faster. Selection can now be done electronically through such tools
butors,
integrated library management systems, online book reviews from databases, and search engines.
Selection of information materials can also be done online. For example Amazon.com allows
customers to select books from its web site and order them online.
The computer networks have also made it possible for librarians and other information
professionals to compile bibliographic lists with brief reviews or table of contents of relevant
information materials from the web site and send them to the lecturers for selection.
Additionally, publishers, booksellers, and vendors of library materials are taking advantage of the
Internet, especially the World Wide Web and the e-mail facilities, to market and sell their products
and communicate with clients. They are setting up web sites, providing online catalogues,
abstracts, bibliographic citations, ordering information, and announcements of forthcoming
publications. This information is updated regularly and is useful for selection and acquisition of
information material. Information centres that have Internet are using these facilities provided by
vendors for electronic communication, selection, and ordering of information materials thus
making the collection development process faster. Further, through the Internet, librarians can link
with systems such as library catalogs, citation databases, and free web sites to identify materials
for selection. When connected, librarians can use information on the holdings of another library as
a tool for selecting materials for inclusion in their collection.
CHAPTER FIVE: ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION MATERIALS
5.1 Introduction
After selection, the next step in collection development is acquisition. Generally, acquisition is
defined as the process of acquiring books and other information materials for the information
centre. The first step in acquisition process is to organize the incoming requests in order to carry
out verifications. Many selectors may request items already in the collection or they may combine
or confuse author
searching which is the next step becomes necessary. Verification is aimed at checking whether
bibliographic details of the items selected are entered correctly and searching ensures that the
materials ordered are not duplicate copies of what is already available in the collection.
The process of searching and verification can be slow and tedious especially if the selections made
are many. The use of integrated information management systems can make searching quicker and
easy. Many of these systems show ordered and received status in the online public access catalog,
which tends to reduce the number of requests that duplicate existing orders. Verification of order
information can also be done using the Internet. This can be
achieved through online catalogs or web pages (for example
Amazon.com).
Before placing an order, an acquisition librarian must determine which acquisition method to use,
what vendor to use, and where to get the money. After this is done, the librarian assigns an order
number to assist in tracking the order.
As soon as the orders are signed, they are ready for mailing to the vendor. Information
Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to order materials in an efficient and cost- effective
manner. Libraries today, especially in developed countries, use computer-generated orders and
store data electronically, thus reducing the volume of paper associated with ordering activities. For
some libraries there are no order forms because they handle the entire order process electronically,

materials can also be done through online transaction whereby electronic money transfers are used.
This process of online ordering makes acquisition of information materials faster and efficient.
Receiving orders, which is the last step in acquisition, requires careful planning. If not handled
properly, receiving can be more complex and time-consuming than ordering. It requires proper
unpacking of shipments, finding of packing slip or invoice, checking each packed item against the
packing slip, and examining the physical condition of the items received.
5.2 Methods of Acquisition
1. Purchase
In most information centres, about 90% of their collections are developed through purchasing.
Usually, a budget is set aside for collection development as an integral part of the annual budget.
2. Exchange
Libraries/information centres agree to enter into an exchange programme with other libraries. For
example universities may agree to exchange copies of their publications for publications from
other universities with a common interest. Materials received on exchange are selected for
inclusion in the collection in accordance with the guidelines established in the collection
development policy for the relevant subjects. The agreement may also be between a public
and a non-public institution. For example the Library of Congress has exchange
arrangements with over 5,000 institutions throughout the world.
3. Gifts and Donations
A gift may be defined as information materials offered by a known person or persons, corporation,
institution or agency that a library/information centre may choose to accept or reject.
Acquiring out of print material and facing what seems to be an inevitable rise in cost of library
materials, libraries are finding ways to maintain the highest possible level of service and efficiency
at low costs. Active solicitation of gifts is one of the most cost-effective ways of acquiring
materials for the library. Over the years, gifts have filled the information gap created as a result of
rising costs of information materials around the world. However, accepting or declining a gift or
donation is a balancing act that should take into consideration the interests of both the library and
its users as well as the interest of the donor. In no way shall acceptance of gifts and donations
violate the provisions outlined in the collection development policy. It is also important for
libraries and information centres to ensure that gifts and donations are only accepted
unconditionally. That is, the libraries/information centres reserve the right to determine the
disposition of donated materials.
4. Legal Deposit
Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a
repository, usually a library. The requirement is mostly limited to books and periodicals. In Kenya
this is done in accordance with the Books and Newspapers Act Chapter (CAP) 111 of the Laws of
Kenya. According to books and newspaper Act (CAP 111) statute law, Miscellaneous

before or within fourteen days after publication of the book, at his own expense deliver to the
Registrar such number of copies thereof, not exceeding three in number.
5. Licensing and Purchase of Electronic Information Resources
One approach of developing electronic information in academic libraries involves direct
subscription of electronic information such as on-line databases, e-books, e-journals and electronic
bibliographies through the internet or CD-ROMs. The process of developing
electronic information resources includes acquisitions of electronic resources such as
databases, e-books and journals through license and access to quality free web based resources.
This process which is commonly referred to as electronic collection development requires that a
library should have appropriate ICT infrastructures such as a reliable internet connectivity and web
site to provide users with access to relevant information for research, learning, and teaching.
In Kenya, libraries and research institutions subscribe to electronic resources through
Programme for Enhancement of Research Information (PERI) through a consortium known as
Kenya Library and Information Service Consortium (KLISC). With the information
revolution brought about by the ICTs, libraries and information centres have graduated from their
traditional role as storehouses of information to vigorous disseminators of information. Collection
development practices have also changed from the traditional practice to modern practice of
collection management. This has been necessary given the changing information formats and user
information seeking behaviours. Users are now beginning to expect fast and efficient electronic
information delivery.
5.3 Automated Acquisition Systems
Automation has been a feature of acquisitions for a long time now, mainly in the form of automated
acquisition systems. The advantages of automated acquisition systems are:
1. the inclusion of on-order records in the library catalogue and the direct loading of new title
announcements as potential order records which give library users enhanced access to available
study material;
2. accessions lists that can easily be produced and selectors notified of new titles and approvals as
they appear;
3. by using file transfer protocol the loading of approvals and exchange data on local systems can
be processed in minutes;
4. files can also be widely circulated, helping to fill gaps in the collection;
5. avoidance of the verification and re-keying of data;
6. more quick and accurate ordering, claim cancelling, and receipt of acknowledgements as well
as status reports;
7. bookseller queries sent by electronic means can be resolved much faster than by post; and
8. the automatic matching and updating of library acquisitions files, and even generation of
payment, without direct intervention by the library, are now feasible.
Several software that help in acquisition of information materials are available and in use by many
libraries, especially in the developed countries. These software include open systems that allow a
library to select modules that best suit the functions of the library; integrated single-vendor systems
that have different modules that are integrated; open source systems that are available freely from
the Internet; and shared systems that are shared by many libraries in a co-operative arrangement.
Electronic ordering, claiming, and invoice processing assist in the efficient processing of
acquisitions in a library. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the commercial interchange of data
using agreed standards, and is therefore useful in acquisitions. EDI requires that both the library
and the vendor be automated, with special software acting as a common interface between systems
over telecommunication network. Orders, acknowledgements, claims and invoices can all be sent
electronically, and fund transfers are possible. The aim is universal linking-in of library and book

publisher at the beginning of the cycle.

The benefits of EDI include reduced administrative costs through elimination of re-keyed data,
more accurate transmission of data, and faster forwarding and receipt of orders and messages. The
result should be improved access for the library user, since the books are received quicker, are
more likely to be correct, and can be automatically notified to the requester on arrival. Order status,
price and availability information, alongside up-to-date
bibliographic details of new books, help make such online systems serve user needs
effectively. Book suppliers using EDI can avoid re-keying data in-house, and can monitor stock
levels and returns more easily; orders for titles not in stock can be automatically dispatched to the
publishers. EDI also gives the publishers better sales information, which should result in fewer
titles going out of print unnecessarily and hence more comprehensive collections for library users.
 CHAPTER SIX: COLLECTION EVALUATION
6.1 Introduction
A collection development process will be of no much value if it does not incorporate collection
evaluation as one of its normal activities. The central concept in the process of evaluating a
collection is that collections are created, developed, and maintained to meet the needs of the
community they serve. This means that the collection must remain relevant and useful to the
community depending on it. Therefore, collection evaluation must also include an analysis of how
well the materials are currently meeting needs and how likely the materials (and the collection) are
to continue meeting the needs of current and future users.
Collection evaluation is described as a systematic process for determining the quality of the
, currency, turnover rates, and other statistical data can provide
clues as to the quality of the collection. As well as providing an assessment of the collections with
regard to the objectives and aims of a specific community and the information needs of that
community, collection evaluation also ensures that a well developed and balanced collection is
attained. In addition, librarians can also use the information gathered through analysis and
evaluation to support requests for additional (or even level) funding. If we know that the collection
has an average copyright date that is 10 years old, we can determine how much funding is needed
to improve that average age to within acceptable standards.
Evaluation also provides valuable insight into the collectio
can reallocate available funds to improve specific areas. We may also want to benchmark the
collection against other collections or standard bibliographic tools to ensure that our selection
practices are appropriate and are in line with national, regional or international standards.
Evaluation of a collection is important because:

1. it helps in developing intelligent, realistic acquisitions program based on a thorough knowledge

of the existing collection;
2. it helps to justify increased funding demands or for a subject allocation; it helps to increase the

3. it helps to know if the library is comparable to others serving similar communities

In most libraries, evaluation will happen in small chunks and different evaluation methods can be
targeted to specific subject areas of the collection. However, if you are new to a library with a
collection that has remained stagnant for a long time or where there have been major demographic
changes in the user community, a full analysis may be necessary. In such a case, you may wish to
use a mixture of techniques so as to come up with a comprehensive evaluation.
6.2 Methods of Collection Evaluation
Libraries can use a variety of methods to evaluate their collections. Each evaluation technique has

evaluation method and generally libraries find themselves using a combination of techniques to
ensure that the collection continues to meet its user community needs.
6.2.1 Comparison With Standards
Depending on the type of library, collections may be compared with the nationally, regionally or
nationally accepted standards. For example in Kenya, university libraries can evaluate their
collections against the standards set by the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), now CUE
one of which states that a university library should have a minimum of 60 titles per programme
and a minimum of five core journal titles per programme.
6.2.2 Comparison With Standard Bibliographies
Many libraries compare their collections, or parts of collection, against standard
bibliographies and lists of recommended or award winning titles. This can be valuable, especially
for a library that has recently changed its mission or expanded rapidly in size.
By comparing the collection with core lists and standard bibliographies you can get a sense of
whether your collection holds items that are considered useful based on specific criteria. Keep in
mind, however, that these some bibliographies may be a bit out of date and the librarian must still
make decisions regarding their usefulness to the immediate community.
Some libraries also compare their holdings against standard indexes to ensure that they collect a
good selection of the titles indexed.
6.2.3 Age of the Collection
Knowing the average publication date for specific sections and the overall collection provides
some empirical data for evaluating the quality of the collection. In many cases your automated
circulation system can generate a report on the publication dates for the entire collection. Of
course, that presumes that the publication date is included in the bibliographic records for most of
the titles in your collection. However, it is important to note that the age of a publication might not
always be a factor for some areas of the collection e.g. fiction.
6.2.4 Use Analysis
Not every book in a collection is actually used on a regular basis. Proper guidelines to determine

(fairly easy to
determine) or includes in-house use. It is also important to determine whether a book that is
borrowed is actually read and whether that borrowed book is read by more than one person while
it is out. Because it is difficult to get data about in-house use, most use analysis data is based on
circulation. Someone must have felt strongly enough that a particular item is suitable to actually
take it out of the library and this is an indicator that there was interest in the material.
For most libraries, current use is more relevant to the collection than having a book on the
assumption that it will be used in future. Use history of an item allows the library to refine its
collection development practices and measure how well it improves its ability to meet user needs.
Even simple circulation records can be analyzed to determine if rates are increasing or decreasing.
By comparing statistics for specific time periods against the same period in the past you can
determine trends that allow for corrective actions. For example, one would expect to see an
increase in circulation of newly acquired books in an academic library. Conversely, the withdrawal
of a lot of old, dirty books might mean that circulation decreases for a period of time until
replacements are available.
Circulation analysis also can show any dramatic changes that occur due to shortened hours of
service (such as closing earlier or opening later due to one reason or another).
Combined with other tools, circulation figures can demonstrate if there are an insufficient number
of relevant materials due to an aging collection, missing or lost materials, or the need to weed out
items that are in poor physical condition.
6.2.5 User Satisfaction
One of the best ways to determine how well your collection is in meeting the needs of users is to
conduct user surveys. Surveys can be conducted as users enter and exit the library, asking them to
indicate what they are looking for and whether they were able to find it. Often, questionnaires will
be distributed as a user enters the library and asks them to identify specific books or topics they
were seeking and whether they found it or not.
When collection satisfaction surveys are repeated over time, usually two or three times a year, it
is possible to compare satisfaction rates to determine whether the collection is getting better or
worse at meeting user expectations. Feedback also allows the librarian to know what areas need
improvement.
 CHAPTER SEVEN: STOCK MANAGEMENT
7.1 Stock taking
Stocktaking is a collection management activity that provides information on the status of the
collection. It is an activity that is undertaken to account for the information resources. Most
information management systems especially those for libraries have a module for stocktaking.
7.1.1 Reasons for Stocktaking

1. withdrawn, including donations and digital resources if a

catalogue record has been created for them.
2. Identify losses (find or replace as necessary).
3. Confirm that each item in your catalogue actually exists and is where it belongs.
4. Ensure that items flagged as overdue are not on the shelves.
5. Identify and fix catalogue anomalies.
6. Provides confidence that the reports generated are a true picture of the collection and its status
7. Provides accurate figures for management reporting.

7.2 Weeding and Deselection

Weeding is the practice of discarding or transferring to storage excess copies, rarely used books
and materials no longer in use. Discarding involves withdrawing a volume of a book from a
collection because it is unfit for further use or is no longer needed whereas transferring retains the
item at a second level of access which may not be open to the user. Weeding is defined weeding
as the process of removing material from the open shelves of a library by re-assessing their value
in terms of the current needs. The materials are removed from the open shelves and relegated to
some remote location, discarded, or ownership transference through donation or sale.
Effective management of a library or information centre collection requires a well planned and
ongoing weeding programme whose rationale is the need for periodic or continuous assessment of
resources intended to remove items that are no longer useful from the collection and ensure that
what is kept in the collection is useful and accessible.
One of the justifications for weeding of library resources is limitation on the space available to
house print collections. While it is necessary to go through the collection on a regular basis and to
weed material to make room for other material, this should not be regarded as the only reason for
weeding. Other reasons for weeding of collections include the fact that the material and
information may be out of date, deteriorated physically, better editions of a specific title may be
available or the institutional objectives may have changed and therefore the need for the collection
to change over time to reflect changes in the user community and information centre goals. Above
all when libraries do not weed regularly or consistently, customers have trouble finding relevant
materials and therefore removing outdated or worn out items makes the collection not only more
visually attractive and more inviting to users but also the library is able to supply information that
is easy to find and up-to-date.
7.2.1 Benefits of Weeding
The benefits of weeding collections include: