Collection Development policy

Dr.Ata ur Rahman
Ata.rahman@iiu.edu.pk
 Component of collection
development:

• Planning is thus the main

component of collection
development.
The collection development policy
• The collection development policy
establishes the principles used by Walter E.
Helmke Library in the selection, acquisition,
evaluation, and maintenance of information
resources in electronic, print and non-print
formats.
 Collection Development Policy
• The following of the collection development
policy are:
1. Library users and their characteristics.
2. Programme to be supported.
3. Forms and level of materials.
4. Extent of duplication in the material.
5. Subject areas.
 Reasons of collection development
policy
• The main reasons for having a written
collection development policy can be put
under four broad headings.
1.Selection
2.Planning
3.Public relations
4.The wider context
 Purpose of collection development
policy
• The purpose of a collection development policy is to
create a collection of library materials that supports
the library's mission. All decisions about the kinds of
materials to be collected or accessed should be made
with the mission statement in mind.
• For example, if an elementary school library's mission
is to support the curriculum, it will not be interested
in collecting adult fiction. However, if the library also
has a mission to be a resource for teachers, it will
collect some professional materials on elementary
education. The collection development policy
sets goals for the collection that reflect the library's
mission.
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• The collection development policy provides
information to the library's stakeholders
about how the collection is chosen, and it
explains who is responsible for making
decisions about the collection. Your
collection development policy provides
information for people who are interested in
the library's collection. These people include:
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• The staff who have responsibility for selecting
and maintaining the collection under the
guidelines set by the governing body,
• Members of the public who may want to know
why certain material is or is not included in the
collection,
• And the library's governing body (e.g. public
library board, school board), which wants to
have a consistent position regarding the library's
collection.
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• The development and implementation of a collection
development policy is a best practice for libraries and
archives, and addresses issues such as:
• material selection and acquisition
• replacement of worn or lost materials
• removal (weeding) of materials no longer needed in
the collection
• planning for new collections or collection areas
• institutional mission
• Cooperative decision-making with other libraries or
within library consortia.
 Collection Development policy in
Libraries
• Knowledge of our community is essential in
making decisions about the Library's
collection. Our collection reflects the large,
diverse, dynamic community we serve
through our Main Library and branches .
Economy transitioning from a manufacturing
base to one that is based on the service and
technology sectors.
 Selection Criteria
• Library staff utilizes professional judgment
and expertise in making collection
development decisions, including decisions
about choosing titles, identifying quantities
for purchase, and selecting locations for
materials. Anticipated demand, community
interests, strengths and weaknesses of the
existing collections, system-wide availability,
physical space limitations, acquisitions
procedures, and available budgets are all
factors taken into consideration.
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• Materials are acquired in multiple formats
when appropriate, including print, audiovisual,
and digital resources. Highest selection
priority is given to those materials in all
formats having the broadest appeal. Library
staff uses their training, subject knowledge
and the selection criteria to identify collection
goals and priorities for Main Library
departments and branches.
 Evaluation Criteria
• The following criteria are used to evaluate
and select items for the collection. An item
need not meet all of these criteria to be
selected. Certain materials are selected to
address local community needs; branch
materials, therefore, are not necessarily
duplicated in the Main Library collection.
 Selection Sources
• Sources for selection decisions encompass,
but are not limited to, published reviews from
standard review sources, publisher/vendor
catalogs and advertisements, professional
and trade bibliographies, and customer
requests and recommendations. The Library
strongly encourages customer input, and all
customer requests and recommendations are
subject to the selection criteria outlined
above.
 Gifts
• The Library accepts gifts of materials for the
collection using the same selection criteria
that are applied to purchase materials.
Decisions regarding the final disposition of
gifts are the responsibility of staff at
individual agencies or the Collection
Development Office, using the following
guidelines:
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1. Not all gifts are added to the collection
2. Gift materials not added to the collection are
not returned to the donor.
3. The Library retains unconditional ownership
of the gift.
4. The Library reserves the right to decide the
conditions of display, housing and access to
the materials.
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5.Gifts added to the collection are housed in the
most appropriate location, determined by
evaluating staff.
6.The Library does not place a value on gifts, nor
provide appraisals for income tax or any other
purpose.
7.The Library is pleased to accept monetary gifts
intended for the purchase of library materials
when the donors’ intentions for the gifts and the
library’s collection development objectives are
consistent.
Collection Evaluation & Maintenance:
• Once materials have been added to the Library’s
collection, they are managed through an
assessment and evaluation process to ensure that
ongoing collection priorities are met; that
collections remain up to date, balanced, and
attractive; and that space limitations are
minimized. This process identifies items for
replacement, retention or de-selection. Library
staff utilizes professional judgment and expertise
in deciding which materials to retain, replace,
repair or de-select.
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• De-selection (removing items from the collection)
is an integral part of collection development. De-
selected materials will, at the Library’s discretion,
be donated to the Friends of the Public Library or
the Anderson Township Library Association for
book sales, or disposed of through other means
determined by the Library. The Library retains
those materials that continue to have enduring or
permanent significance to its mission and overall
collection goals.
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• Along with the same criteria used to select new
materials, general criteria for retaining, replacing,
repairing or de-selecting include:
• Availability of item in alternative formats
• Feasibility, cost of repair
• Historical significance, interest, or value
• Physical condition
• Relative usefulness of item
• Space considerations
• Superseded, inaccurate, or out-of-date content
• Usage
 Intellectual Freedom:
• The Library is committed to the principle that
the constitutionally protected freedoms of
speech and press are enjoyed by all. To this
end, the Library strives to offer a collection
that represents the needs of our diverse
community. Inclusion of an item in the
collection does not mean that the Library
endorses any theory or statement contained
in those materials and resources.
 Reconsideration of Library Materials:
• The Library welcomes expressions of opinion
from customers concerning materials selected
or not selected for the collection. If a
customer questions the content, tone or
placement of an item in the collection, he/she
should first address the concern with a
Library staff member. Customers who wish to
continue their request for reconsideration of
library material may submit the Request for
Reconsideration form.
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• After receiving the completed request for
reconsideration, the Library Services Director will
appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of the
appropriate Collection Development Office staff and
two professional staff members with relevant subject
knowledge. The committee will evaluate all requests
to add or remove material from the collection within
the context of the Collection Development Policy.
During this process, the material in question will
remain accessible to Library customers. The
committee will make a recommendation to the Eva
Jane Romaine Combee Director who will respond by
letter to the customer.
 Conclusion
• The scope of the collection refers to the range
and type of materials selected including the
formats offered and the level of difficulty. The
scope is as broad as possible to allow for free
expression and free access to ideas.
Collection Development policy relates its
collection to the needs of the community
around it.