Saint John Parochial School

J.P. Rizal St. Pov. IV

Tiaong, Quezon

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

I. RATIONALE

The Learning Resource Center (LRC) together with the Instructional Media Center (IMC), and the Archives Services Center (ASC)
play a significant role in the academic institution. These are centers where print and non-print materials are carefully selected,
organized to provide useful information.

For the past years, we have improved our collection and make sure that necessary informational materials are available to support
instruction, fulfill the research needs of Saint John Community and support the informational needs of library users. The purpose of
these program is to provide consistency among the persons responsible for collection management. The librarian works collaboratively
with faculty and users to provide information resources, in various formats, that will support the curriculum and academic programs of
the school.

II. CONDITION
The School Library is housed on the 1st floor of the LRC building which made accessible to the school community. It is well
ventilated, well lighted. It has enough space to accommodate its users and has space for its collections.

The Instructional Media Center is located on the 3rd floor of the same building where non-print materials and learning equipment
are kept. It has a space for viewing purposes which accommodate 50-80 persons.
 The Archives Service Center is located at the Administrative Building beside the office of the registrar. It housed the historical
records and memorabilia related to school organizations and activities.

III. OBJECTIVES

- To provide all users with carefully selected books and other library materials to meet their needs:
Informational – to serve the community as an information center by providing the right materials for the answering of specific
questions;
Educational – to serve reliable materials to help meet the needs of users in their pursuit of formal and informal education;
Recreational – to encourage reading, viewing, and listening for leisure and cultural enrichment.
- To develop collections with adequate resources in all subject areas.
- To promote the collections to the community all available in all formats.
- To maintaining the collections through appropriate conservation and preservation methods.

IV. DEFITION OF TERMS

Collection development Policies

 Also termed as selection policies or acquisition policies

 A written statement of the plan to develop collection in the library
- Provides a detailed guideline intended mainly for the library staff
- Represents a plan of action to guide the staff’s thinking and decision making
- A mechanism for communication with the library’s patrons as well as for those who provide for funding.

Selection

 The heart of the collection development process

 The process of deciding which materials to acquire for a library collection; may involve deciding between items that provide
information about the same subject, systematically determining quality and value (Evans 2000)

Acquisitions

 The process of securing materials for the library collection, whether by purchase, as gifts (Evans, 2000)
 Primary concerned with the ordering, purchasing and claiming of materials for the library.
 Periodicals

 Are publication that come out in patron on a continuing basis such as magazines, journals, and newspapers. They are important
source of information for patrons and are often the most current source of information on a topic.

Gifts

 Materials given to the library from various local and foreign sources – individuals, institutions, foundations, friends of the library,
and alumni
 Selection and acceptance criteria should be the same as those criteria for purchased materials.

Weeding

 The removal of outdated and obsolete library resources.

V. LIBRARY COMMITTEE
Chair: Fr. Edwin V. Varuelo, Director
V-Chair: Sr. Emma D. Desor, OSM, Principal
Finance Head: Sr. Merci, School Treasurer
Secretary: Bridgette Tubigan, Library Associate
Members:
Subject Areas: Students:
ENGLISH: Mrs. Mary Grace D. Peña SCO President: Ms. Rose Ann
FILIPINO: Mr. Marc C. Taño PCO President: Ms. Dianne
MATHEMATICS: Mr. Edison M. Danila
SCIENCE: Mr. Alfredo C. Tizon Jr.
ARALING PANLIPUNAN: Mrs. Arjean Temple
MAPEH: Mr. Jeffrey Pacia
CL/ESP: Mr. Matthew Cortez
T.L.E.: Mr. Justine Maralit
COMPUTER: Mr. Jeromy C. Tubigan
VI. SELECTION COMMITTEE
Collection development is a collaborative process involving library, teaching and research staff. Faculty is expected to work with the
librarian to recommend appropriate library materials and participate in the selection and evaluation of materials for the library.
Librarian is responsible for monitoring the strengths and weaknesses of the collection supporting academic programs. Final decisions on
the purchase of resources rest with the principal/director of the school.

VII. CRITERIA IN SELECTION OF BOOKS AND OTHER LEARNING MATERIALS

 BOOKS PERIODICALS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS
AUTHORITY COVERAGE (scope and content) OF THE Video, DVD and CD collection
 Who is the author, and what TITLE The library collects VHS, DVDs and CDs to
expertise does the author have  Does it support the present supplement the print and non-print collections and
in the subject matter? curriculum and research to provide information that may not be available in
CURRENCY programs? any other format. The library will migrate to an all-
 How current is the material? Are  Is the coverage unique in terms Digital Video Disc (DVD) format retaining only
there other sources that are of areas not already covered by those VHS titles that are not available in the DVD
more current? Would this book the library’s collection? Is the format.
duplicate information in another, coverage multidisciplinary in Goals
already owned source? terms of application to various The collection should be well balanced, serving the
SCOPE disciplines? needs of the entire community. Materials will be
 What subject area does the ACCURACY selected for all ages & all levels of comprehension.
source cover? Is it a broad or  How accurate is the material in
specific treatment of the subject? the periodical? It should be  Materials will be considered in terms of
INTEREST factually correct and relatively timeliness, demand, quality, and authority
 How interesting is the source? objective. This can be determined  The collection will represent all sides of a
Does the source have the by evaluating the writers, the wide range of issues.
potential for being heavily used publisher, and the subject matter.
in the library? For more technical periodicals, an Selection criteria
ORGANIZATION expert opinion is a good idea. This collection consists of non-fiction and fiction
 How is the book laid out? Can video cassettes and DVDs in a wide variety of
you easily find information in the LOCAL INTEREST general subjects for all ages.
source? Does it have appropriate  Does the title have some interest
access points, indexes, and to the local community?  All general nonfiction subjects are
cross-references? purchased including the following:
FORMAT -Educational, informational, how-to, health
FORMAT ISSUES
 What is the quality of the binding related, travel, biography, etc.
 What is the quality of the printing
and the paper (acid-free is - Original Broadway plays & musicals.
and the paper? Are illustrations of
preferred)? How reliable is the  Feature films
good quality? Do there seem to
print? - Films made for children & families.
be more ads than text?
SPECIAL FEATURES - Films favorably reviewed by reputable,
INDEXING
 Does the book have important nationally recognized critics.
 Is the title indexed in a service to
illustrations or other features - Films judged by critics to be *Classics
which the library subscribes?
that would make it valuable? with some literary connection, i.e. play,
COST book based.
COST
 How much does it cost? Are -Films of great cultural significance.
 How much does the subscription
there other comparable sources -Animated cartoons appropriate for general
cost? Will back issues be needed?
that are less expensive? audiences.
If so, how much will it cost to
ACCURACY -Current releases will be considered on the
bind them?
 Is the information in the source basis of their literary, cinematic, and/or
DEMAND
accurate? Would experts in the historical significance.
 Will a title be used enough to
subject agree that it is a good  Award winning films
justify subscription?
source? Films that have won one or more of the
AVAILABILITY
IMPARTIALITY following awards will be considered for
 Is the title available in any
 Is the source a balanced purchase:
current subscription?
treatment of the subject matter? -Academy Awards
If the book does not have a -Golden Globe
balanced treatment, does your -Film festival entries based on reviews and
book collection address differing relevance to collections and selection
VIII. SOURCE OF FUND
 The acquisition of learning resources will be based on the annual budget allotted for Learning Resource Center.

IX. EVALUATION
Measuring Instruments
 Gathering of suggestions/recommendations from teachers and students.
 Statistical records on most borrowed materials.
 Annual survey on the queries of library users.

X. GRACE
The Learning Resource staff draws their inspiration from Jesus Christ, the Master, the Divine Teacher. He is the Truth and with this,
they aspire that in their service to the members of the community of St. John Parochial School, they become instruments in gaining the
truths of every field of learning. May the grace of Christ, the way, the truth and the life be upon them in their humble service of
carrying out the Learning Resource Center.

Prepared by: Approved by:

BRIDGETTE D. TUBIGAN SR. EMMA D. DESOR, OSM

Library Associate Principal

Fr. EDWIN BARUELO

Director
Subject areas and collection arrangement
The primary subject areas collected are those materials that support the instructional and research activities of the school.
Print materials are arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) System.

CRITERIA
 Collection Development Objectives
The primary purpose of the public library is to purchase, organize, and make readily accessible print and nonprint information sources to stimulate interest and
provide information to all eligible library users--regardless of age, sex, race, creed, or social, economic, and educational level.

In the provision of library materials, three broad purposes are considered:

1. Informational - to serve the community as an information center by providing authoritative materials for the answering of specific questions;
2. Educational - to provide reliable materials to help meet the needs of patrons in their pursuit of formal and informal education;
3. Recreational - to encourage reading, viewing, and listening for leisure and cultural enrichment.

1. The Libraries of the University of Connecticut The libraries of the University of Connecticut develop, maintain, and make discoverable robust and unique
collections that support the research and learning needs of the UConn community and beyond. The University Library serves all of the undergraduate and
graduate programs on the main campus, the four regional campuses, and the UConn Health campus. While the UConn Law Library is administratively separate
 from the University Library, the University Library and the Law Library maintain a strong affiliation, particularly in the areas of collection development and access.
With 3.9 million print volumes and well over 110,000 electronic and print journals, the libraries of the University of Connecticut form the most comprehensive public
research collection in the state.

The University Library maintains nine physical locations: four on the Storrs campus, one at each of the four regional campuses, and one at the UConn Health
campus. The Homer Babbidge Library, the flagship location of the University Library, is in the center of the Storrs campus and serves both undergraduate and
graduate programs. The Storrs campus is also home to the Music & Dramatic Arts Library in the Fine Arts complex, the Pharmacy Library in the Pharmacy/Biology
building, and the University Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. Each of the University’s four regional campuses — Avery
Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury — maintains a library dedicated to serving the programs at those sites. Regional campus libraries hold undergraduate-
focused core collections as well as specialized research collections tailored to the needs of graduate programs: Marine Biology at Avery Point; Business, Public
Policy, Education, and Social Work at Hartford; Business at Stamford; and Education, Nursing, and Engineering at Waterbury. The Storrs and regional campus
locations of the he University Library shares a single catalog and each of these libraries serve as a gateway to the collection as a whole. The UConn Health
location of the University Library maintains a separate catalog reflecting the specialized needs of the UConn Health community.

This document applies specifically to the Storrs and regional locations of the University Library (heretofore referred to as “the Library”) and outlines the principles
and guidelines used to develop the collections at these locations.

2. Scope of the Collection The Library develops and maintains collections that inspire discovery and the creation of new knowledge by providing resources that
support and enhance research and scholarship, undergraduate and graduate education, and emerging areas of interdisciplinary interest at the University of
Connecticut. The depth of collection development varies by discipline and is driven by the scholarship and teaching priorities of University’s academic programs.

The Library recognizes that free access to ideas and freedom of expression are fundamental to research and education in a democratic society. The Library is
committed to providing a balanced collection representing a diversity of perspectives. The collection will not exclude any materials on the basis of their creators’
and/or publishers’ race, color, ethnicity, religious creed, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical or mental abilities.

3. Access versus Ownership   The Library is responsible for acquiring, curating, and preserving enduring research collections and ensuring their availability for
current and future scholarship. Decisions about which materials to purchase for permanent retention are balanced against the need to provide access to a broad
array of information resources with immediate scholarly and research value. Research strengths, academic priorities, and the information needs of students inform
decisions about when to collect for permanent retention, when to lease or borrow materials, and when to rely on openly available repositories.

4. Resource Sharing and Cooperative Collection Development   The Library’s collection is developed to meet the needs of the UConn community while also
functioning as a node in networks of collective collections developed by libraries partnering at regional, national, and international levels. To this end, the Library
participates in resource sharing collaborations that expand access to collections by mutual lending agreements. Among these collaborations is the Eastern
Academic Scholars Trust (EAST), a print retention partnership of over 50 college and university libraries in the region. The mission of EAST is to ensure that
 faculty and students in the northeast United States have access to the collective scholarly record of print monographs, journals, and serials in the participating
libraries and that this record is preserved.

5. Licensing Online Resources The libraries of the University of Connecticut negotiate licenses as “One UConn,” including the Storrs campus libraries, regional
campus libraries, the Health library, and the Law library. When negotiating license agreements for online resources, the libraries refrain from purchasing resources
where use restrictions would seriously impede research or intellectual freedom, or be impossible to enforce. The libraries strive to ensure access is granted to the
fullest extent possible and that the UConn Board of Trustees’ approval, signature authority, and contract requirements are all met.

Additionally, the libraries negotiate licenses to be in compliance with the State of Connecticut’s contract requirements. Resources with licenses that do not include
the State of Connecticut’s required contract provisions cannot be acquired.

6. Collections Budget The Library’s collection allocations are used to acquire ownership of or access to monographs, media, journals, and databases; support
interlibrary borrowing and lending; enable the discovery of print and online materials worldwide; steward the University’s scholarly output; and secure participation
in collaborative repositories that safeguard the long term preservation of both print and digital resources. The Library also collaborates with schools and
departments to co-finance specialized resources that benefit our research community.

7. Responsibility for Collection Development The Library’s Collections Steering Committee has administrative oversight for the collections. It sets collection
development policies, makes broad collection budget allocations, and regularly reviews these allocations for strategic adjustment. Selection/retention decisions for
high-cost resources also fall within the purview of the Collections Steering Committee.

The Library’s Research Services unit coordinates the assessment and development of collections and discovery tools of cross-disciplinary nature, while individual
subject librarians have responsibility for assessing and developing collections and information sources relating to their assigned academic disciplines. Fund
allocations are divided among academic disciplines based on the size of the department, nature of material needed, record of expenditures in relation to previous
years, and new initiatives.

8. General Criteria for Collection Development The Library works with users and consortia to determine which resources should be acquired or retained and
employ the following general criteria when evaluating resources to be added to the general collections:

1. Relevance to education and research programs: Applicability to faculty and graduate students’ research interests, current curricular needs, and
research trends in academic disciplines.
2.  Scope and depth of the existing collection: Breadth and historic retention of the Library’s collection in the subject area.
3. Quality: Level of scholarship and creativity; long term relevance of content and format; reputation of the author, publisher, contributors, and editorial board;
and availability and importance of illustrations and bibliographies.
4. Currency and timeliness: Rapidity with which new information significantly advances or supersedes earlier scholarship in the subject area.
 5. Discoverability, usability, and accessibility: Ability of users to locate materials in scholarly databases and free search engines, intuitiveness of the
interface design, and accessibility of online materials for users with disabilities.
6. Cost: Expense of acquiring, processing, cataloging, shelving, and preserving materials, both commercially sold and free.
7. Language and country of origin: Optimal language and perspective for specific programmatic research and education needs.
8. Contribution to open scholarly communication: The product positively impacts open access to research and scholarship; the information is or will soon
become readily accessible to the world community.
9. Material Type and Format The Library collects materials in a variety of standard formats, selecting the format best suited for the content at hand and the funding
available. Electronic-preferred materials include newspapers, journals, indexes and abstracts, reference texts, government documents, and items in the public
domain. When selecting e-resources, the Library favors those that allow unlimited simultaneous use, are DRM-free, accessible to all members of the UConn
community, functionally reliable and user-friendly. As a general rule, the Library does not acquire the following:

o Textbooks: The Library does not purchase resources that have been published as textbooks.
o Course Reserve Materials: The Library does not purchase or acquire materials for course reserves. Instructors are encouraged to draw course materials
from the Library’s physical or online collections or from the many open education resources now readily available. While the Library does not purchase or
acquire materials that have been published as textbooks or other curricular materials to meet the needs of a particular course, instructors may supply such
materials to the course reserve program from their own collections.
o Outdated Formats: The Library does not acquire, either by purchase or gift, materials in formats requiring specialized equipment, facilities, or utilizing
playing devices no longer manufactured or serviced.
o Streaming Media Available from Mass Market Online Retailers: The Library does not purchase or acquire streaming media content available to
individuals via mass market online retailers that provide reliable and affordable access.
o Multiple Copies and Replacements: The Library does not purchase multiple copies of items for a single location, except for instances in which the item is
in very high demand. Titles in the collection reported missing are replaced as promptly as possible if needed for teaching or research. Replacements for
other lost or damaged materials will be considered on the basis of past use, currency of information, relevance to collecting goals, consortial retention
commitments, and cost.
10. Donated Materials The Library accepts donated materials that enhance our collections by supporting identified research and teaching needs. The following
criteria are used to evaluate donated materials: scope of the collection, physical condition, and duplication. Gift materials that are not added to the collection are
donated to other libraries, sold, or discarded. Unless otherwise agreed upon, the disposition of all donated materials are at the sole discretion of the Library. The
Library cannot provide donors with a monetary appraisal of donated materials.
11. Deselection To maintain a vibrant and relevant collection, the Library employs deselection, also known as collection weeding. Periodic evaluation of the relevance
of resources is an essential element of collection development that ensures the Library’s materials remain useful and accessible. The following criteria are used
when evaluating items for deselection in the general collections:

o Research, teaching, and learning value

o Retention commitments in shared stewardship initiatives
o Physical condition
o Discoverability and usability
o Circulation rate
o Currency of information
o Relevance to curriculum
o Availability of newer editions
o Duplication
o Increase in cost
12. Archives & Special Collections Archives & Special Collections is the University of Connecticut’s public repository for manuscripts, rare books, photographs,
maps, drawings, illustrations, newspapers, periodicals, sound recordings, film, and born-digital materials. In setting collecting priorities, Archives & Special
Collections seeks materials that build regionally, nationally, and internationally recognized collections, add depth or rare and unique materials to its holdings, and
support academic programs. Archives & Special Collections also preserves the official records and the institutional memory of the University of Connecticut.

Collections are acquired by staff primarily by donation, in accordance with Archives & Special Collections’ collection development policy, University of Connecticut
Records Retention policies, and terms outlined in its Deed of Gift documentation. Collection materials that are regularly purchased, either with library monies or
endowment funds, include special collections specimens in fine or near fine condition, reference materials and tools, and, selectively, manuscripts, according to
collecting priorities and as they become available by accredited vendors in the marketplace.

13. Professional School Libraries The Thomas J. Meskill Law Library in Hartford provides comprehensive, current, and relevant print and digital collections that
support the School’s students, faculty, and staff in the advancement of legal scholarship, legal education, and legal research. The Law Library maintains separate
policies and guidelines regarding its collection development program: https://library.law.uconn.edu/about-policies/collection-development-policy.

The Lyman Maynard Stowe Library in Farmington collects materials in support of all three areas of the UConn Health mission academics, clinical care and
research. The library supports the professional degree programs at the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine, as well as the Graduate School,
which awards advanced degrees in biomedical science, dental science, and public health. The Health Library maintains separate policies and guidelines regarding
its collection development program.
 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS
The attached policy outline includes those elements which meet the criteria established by the Montana State Library Commission for its Blacktail Mission Statement:

Collection management policies, considered and formally adopted by governing entities, are a prerequisite to maintaining a useful materials collection. Accordingly, the
Commission now requires that any entity applying to the Commission for any grants after July 1, 1986, shall have a written collection management policy in place and on file at the
Montana State Library. The requirements for Collection Management Policy approval have been augmented. The new requirement states that the library's collection management
policy must be reviewed and updated (with the current board chair/legal authority's and director/librarian's signatures) at least once every three yearsand resubmitted in its entirety
to the Montana State Library.

It is important, therefore, that all libraries in Montana develop and adopt a policy in order to be eligible for future funds which are administered by the Commission.

This is an outline for a collection development policy, not a selection policy. A selection policy describes the procedures and policies for adding material to the collection. A
collection development policy includes the elements of a selection policy, but it also describes how the library`s collection serves its users, where the strengths and weaknesses
are, how the collection relates to those in other local libraries, and what the goals are for the development of the collection.

The policy should be written for the library staff, the library board, the governing organization, and the patrons of the library. It should both guide the collection development
activities and explain those activities and their results to others.

The length of such a policy varies with the complexity of the collection and the complexity of the community of users the collection serves. Each category in the outline is important
and should be addressed, at least to the extent appropriate for your library. Your statements within each category may vary from one sentence to several paragraphs. Unlike most
policies, the collection development policy should err on the side of specifics rather than generalities. The questions and statements within each section of the outline are for your
guidance in considering your library`s situation and in writing the policy.

You may want to start with brief statements, especially if this is your first attempt at writing a collection development policy. The process of examining the current collection and
planning for its development is more important than the actual document. Also, a collection development policy should not be static. It should be frequently reviewed and changed
to reflect changes in the library's goals and in the collection itself.

School districts may want to consider a collection development policy for the district that mentions all of the individual school libraries collections. If district wide collection decisions
are made then a district wide policy would be appropriate.
As you work on your collection management policy, if you need further input or have questions, please call the Montana State Library, Statewide Library Resources, at 406-444-
5349.

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Mission Statement: What is the library's reason for existence? What is the library's role in the community? The mission of the governing organization or parent institution
may also be included.
2. Purpose of the Policy: How will the policy be used for library management, planning, and accountability to the governing organization and library users?
3. Community and User Groups Defined: Briefly describe the community served (town, county, school, business, etc.) in terms of size, population, location, economic base,
etc. Describe the primary, secondary and occasional users of the library in terms of ages, education levels, occupations, numbers, frequency of use, reasons for use, etc.
4. Patron Needs and Services/Programs Defined: What educational, recreational, and/or research needs must be met? Consider the needs of children, students, senior
citizens, handicapped, business people, and other segments of the population. What services and/or programs does the library offer to meet these needs? (Examples:
children's programs, homebound service, literacy tutoring, online database searching, telefax delivery of interlibrary loan materials, etc.) What needs are not being met?
5. Brief General Statement Describing the Collection: In general, how would you describe the library's collection? What is the size (in volumes or titles)? By how much does it
grow each year? What reading or information levels (preschool, school levels, adult, technical/professional) are collected?
6. Cooperative Collection Development & Interlibrary Loan: How does use of interlibrary loan affect collection decisions? What cooperative agreements, if any, are in effect?
Do you have deposit collection arrangements with other libraries, classroom teachers, the jail, nursing homes, etc.? Are the holdings of other libraries in WLN or within the
community considered before a title is purchased? Under what circumstances?

B. GENERAL PRIORITIES, LIMITATIONS AND POLICIES

1. Chronological Coverage: This refers primarily to the publication dates of the titles in the collection. Do you have mostly current information? Are older publications kept for
historical or research purposes? Distinguish between older material intentionally retained and material that needs to be withdrawn.
2. Formats: Describe which formats of information the library collects: books, periodicals, newspapers, sound recordings, videotapes, films, slides, software, microfilm, CD-
ROM, online databases, etc. Are paperbacks, textbooks, large print or microforms purchased or collected? Under what circumstances and to what extent? Is there a need
to collect in a format you don't yet have?
3. Multiple Copies: Does the library normally purchase multiple copies of books or other items? How is the determination made to purchase or place in the collection
duplicates?
4. Languages: Is material collected in languages other than English? (Examples: "Maintain collection of adult and juvenile Spanish fiction." "Collect classic French and
German literature to support undergraduate courses.")
5. Funding Considerations: How are funds for materials obtained and allocated? Are funds obtained from any special sources, such as a trust fund, donation fund, friends
group, grants? Are funding formulas tied to enrollment?
6. Collection Responsibilities and Selection Procedures: Who selects materials? What general processes or procedures are involved? What criteria are used for selection?
The information from an existing selection policy could be reviewed and added here.
7. Collection Maintenance: Why, when and by what criteria do you withdraw or weed items? (Examples of weeding guidelines: outdated information; poor physical condition;
unneeded duplicates; subject not within scope of collection development policy.) Policies concerning rebinding, repair and replacements should be addressed here.
8. Complaints and Censorship: Include the full procedure, policy and forms used by the library. The Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read statement, and any other
relevant policies should be appended to the collection policy.
 9. Gifts Policy: Do you accept anything offered? What do you add to the collection? How do you dispose of unwanted gifts? Do you accept gifts with "strings" or restrictions
attached? Do you accept monetary gifts, bequests? Who makes the decisions about gifts? Be sure to mention that you do not appraise materials and therefore will give
receipts only for the number of items, not for their value.

C. SUBJECT AREAS COLLECTED

1. Subjects: The detail of this section will depend on the size and needs of the library. Three common approaches are described below. Choose or adapt the one most
relevant to your library's collection. Be as general or as specific as you need to be to have useful information for development of the collection. a. Broad categories, e.g.
History, Science & Technology, Social Sciences, Literature, General Reference, Religion, etc., or curriculum areas. b. Broad classification number categories:
Dewey: 000's, 100's, 200's, 300's...
Library of Congress: A's, B's, C's...
c. Specific classification number categories, for example:

Dewey
900-909 History
910, 914-919 Travel
910-912, 914-919 Geography
913 Archaeology
2.
L.C.
E51-99 Indians of North America
E101-135 Discovery & exploration of America
E186-199 Colonial history
E201-298 Revolution

3. Present Collection Levels: Within each of the subject categories established in section #1, give a brief description of your current collection in that subject. Be sure to
include all formats: books, periodicals, audiovisual, government publications, etc. in your description and assessment of each subject area. At the minimum, give some
indication of the strengths and weaknesses of your collection in each subject area. (Examples: "The library does not collect in this area." "Have current reference sources,
10-15 circulating books, but all are more than 25 years old.")
o You may combine brief descriptions with standard collection level descriptions, such as the following:
o Out of scope: means the library does not collect in this subject.
o Minimal level: have a few good items.
o Basic level: have an up-to-date collection that will introduce readers to the subject and indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere.
o Study level: have a collection adequate to support undergraduate instruction & sustained independent study. Includes material at all appropriate reading levels.
 o Research level: includes all the major published source material required for dissertation research.
o If your library has used a conspectus methodology to assess the collection, you may choose to use the assessment level codes (0, 1a, 1b, 2a, etc.) in this section. [If you
would like information about the conspectus method of assessment, please contact the State Library.]
4. Future acquisition levels or goals: Again within each subject area in section #1, indicate your needs and goals for that subject. How do you intend to change the collection?
What are your priorities? Within what time frame? If the area needs weeding, or other specific action, that may be a goal in addition to the acquisition goals for new titles.
(Examples: Weed "Science & Technology" collection by mid-1989. Upgrade "Medicine" collection from minimal to basic level by 1991. Work toward study level for "Local
History" collection. Priorities are: Local history, current fiction, and business (adult collection); support for summer reading program (children's collection.)
5. Special collections: Describe any subject areas or format collections which the library maintains as a strong or unique collection. These may be materials that are shelved
separately or that do not circulate. (Examples: rare books on the history of skiing; local history collection; slide collection; vertical file collection.) [Note: Special collections
require extra care and investments of time and money to properly maintain and develop. Consider carefully before starting a special collection. If you have one already,
consider if it truly fits with the library's mission and collection goals. It may be more appropriate to integrate it into the general collection or to donate it to another library.]
6. Other considerations: Information on languages, formats and chronological coverage may be noted within each appropriate subject area, if the general statements in
section B above are not sufficient for your library or if a particular subject segment is an exception. If a collection assessment has been done, information about the
methods used, the personnel involved and the dates and depth of the process should be noted.

D. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, EVALUATION, AND REVISION

How, when and by whom will the policy be reviewed and updated? Try to be specific. (Examples: "Every June by the librarian and trustees." "Every two years, beginning in 1990,
by the library-faculty committee.") [NOTE: The requirements for Collection Management Policy approval have been augmented. The new requirement states that the library's
collection management policy must be reviewed and updated (with the current board chair/legal authority's and director/librarian's signatures) at least once every three years and
resubmitted in its entirety to the Montana State Library.]

The last item on the policy should be the official record of action. This should include dates and signatures of the significant parties concerned. For example:

___________________________________________________
Librarian Date

___________________________________________________
Administrator Date

___________________________________________________
Chair, Board of Education Date

or whatever would constitute official action for a policy for your library. The action to adopt the policy should be recorded in the minutes of an official meeting.
Collection Development Policy
It is said that the library is a trinity of books, users and staff. Books are of various types and formats generally known as collection. Books are being published in
increasing number every year. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) monitors both the number and type of books
published per country per year. In 2005, the United Kingdom published 206,000 books, where as in the same year United States published 172,000 books.
Advances in information communication technology and the emergence of electronic resources have added a new dimension of digital books and other media to
ever increasing number of books worldwide. Left to themselves, librarians would like to acquire as many books as they can while the users would like to have all
the books of their interest in the library with which they are associated. Unfortunately, library budgets are very much limited regardless of the type of library -
academic, public, or special library. At the same time other needs such as open access computers, multi media services etc have to be met with. The best way of
facing these problems appears to be to have a well written collection development policy.

What is Collection Development Policy

The American Library Association defines collection development policies (CDP) as 'documents which define the scope of a library's existing collections, plan for
the continuing development of resources, identify collection strengths, and outline the relationship between selection philosophy and the institution's goals, general
selection criteria, and intellectual freedom'.

Why of Collection Development Policy

The primary purpose of a written collection development policy is to lay down guidelines for selecting materials for the collection of the library. It also describes
steps on weeding (deselection), retention, preservation and archiving. It helps in identifying gaps in collections and providing orientation to new staff. It can help
the library users what to expect from the library and what to recommend to be added to the collection. According to Hoffmann and Wood (2005), collection
development policy statement often focuses on the communication function: internally, with the users, staff, and administrators, and externally, with other libraries
and institutions. Communication embraces a wide range of operations, including training, budgeting cooperative acquisitions, interaction with users, and shared
services. The collection development plan is like business plan for a small business(Cassell and Futas, 1991). It is like a road map which outlines the steps to be
taken to accomplish the goals of the business. Lorenzen (2009) is of the opinion that the CD Policies act as a planning tool, guide to selectors, ensures
consistency and defence for challenges.

How to Write a Collection Development Policy

Collection development policy may be written either for the entire library or to a specific subject such as chemistry, economics, and philosophy etc. The policy is
usually drafted by a committee where as for a specific subject it is by the subject librarian concerned. It may be worth looking at the simple course on writing a
collection development policy of Idaho Commission for Libraries. http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/able/course1/19writing.htm

Whitehead (1989) took a practical look at writing the policy and explains how to start the process, what to write first, what to put into it, how to get one quick, what
to call it, and how long it should be.http://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/swin:281
Dartmouth College Library presents useful guidelines for writing collection development policies. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cmdc/bibapp/cdpguide.html

Elements of Collection Development Policy

The Guide for written collection policy statements by the American Library Association explicitly describes various items of information that are to be included in
the policy statement. These elements are listed below (ALA, 1996). By and large the below mentioned items are included in policy statement:
- Introduction to the policy statement
- General purpose
- Brief note about the library
- General subject boundaries
- Languages
- Geographical areas
- Types of materials collected
- Format of materials collected
- Special collections and manuscripts
- Other resources available
- Detailed subject areas
- Weeding and deselection

Conclusion 
However, Snow (1996) is of the opinion that written collection development policies in the academic library are unnecessary as written policy represents a
significant investment in its creation and maintenance. One may not agree with this opinion. With the diminishing budgets and ever increasing prices of books and
non-book material, there is every need for a sound collection development policy with periodic revisions.
Collection Development Policy

Rationale

The function of Parkes High School Library is primarily to support the learning needs of

students and the teaching requirements of staff. To do so, it must provide information to

support all curriculum areas taught at the school whilst at the same time helping students

and teachers to use ever changing, complex technological tools to access the information

effectively.

As well, the library has an important role in supporting the recreational needs of students

and in providing a safe environment for all students.

The library collection will support the school’s motto Dum Vivo Disco - ‘While I Live I

Learn’ and its guiding statement, “Innovation, Inclusion, Inspiration”, by fostering an

interest and enjoyment in reading and the pursuit of knowledge.

Parkes High School Library

Supports the curriculum needs of students;

Encourages reading as a vital skill for lifelong learning;

Provides material for entertainment and pleasure;

Meets the professional needs of staff;

Provide access to electronic information and services;

Manages and organises complex and changing information sources for easy

access by students and staff;

Provides students with access to learning information literacy skills to find,

organise and critically evaluate information;

Encourages the participation and contribution of the school community to the

development of the collection and the use of resources;

Promotes collaboration with Parkes Shire Library to maximise limited resources

and encourage connections with the wider community;

Endorses the ALIA Statement on Free Access to Information

(http://www.alia.org.au/policies/free.access.html) and the IFLA/UNESCO School

Library manifesto (http://archive.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm)

Purposes of this Collection Development Policy:

1. General Guidelines

The Collection Development Policy is a “blueprint” (Jackson 2007) for the future of

Parkes High School Library identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the collection in

terms of user needs, especially curriculum needs. It is therefore essential to justify

funding applications (Kennedy 2005, p16). In turn, it provides accountability for funds

spent. The policy also sets out selection guidelines, ensuring the public is aware of how

material is selected and providing objective justification for the collection. It should also

be seen as a tool not only to inform the community, but to encourage their support of the

library in meeting the information needs of their students.

2. Turning over a new leaf.

Another purpose of this policy is to rejuvenate the library at Parkes High School (PHS)as

a centre for information and learning by attracting more users to the library and making it
the focal point of the school, for staff, students, parents and other community members.

As such, it is a “public relations tool” (Kennedy 2005) suggesting approaches to making

the library a “source of current, dynamic, curriculum-related information for today’s

students’ (Baumbach & Miller 2006, p3), whatever their needs, interests and abilities.

This policy is a “living document” (Arizona State Library 2003, Overview, para 2), and

will be modified every 12 months, with stakeholder input, to reflect changing needs.

To do this, the policy will focus on:

strengthening the physical collection;

managing and collectively organising the digital collection;

collaborating with teachers for the selection and effective use of resources;

promoting collaboration with the Parkes Shire Library and other libraries.

Collection Goals

The collection aims to address the following user needs identified at PHS:

to improve School Certificate and Higher School Certificate results

provision of information seeking skills to students;

provision of resources for the teaching of the Wiradjuri language;

provision of literacy support, including for the Peer Tutoring Program;

provision support for vocational education;

strengthening of the physical collection;

increased partnerships, participation and contribution from the wider community;

ensuring ease of access to appropriate digital resources.

To meet these needs, goals will be organised around them rather than by subject areas as

has been the case.

The following areas will be investigated and targeted:

Senior studies: There will be a firm emphasis on building the collection of

resources for School Certificate and HSC students across all subject areas. Items

will be selected to closely fit study needs of students based on syllabus

requirements. These materials will include study guides; critical works on set

authors for English; primary source material for Ancient History; items for

Chinese and American history; up-to-date Science and Agriculture texts; and

perhaps subscriptions to online reference sources, (exploring the possibility of

sharing costs with PSL). Online items will be collectively organised by the

librarian into subject or assignment categories accessible at school or at home via

links on the library webpage. The availability of the ‘Ask a Librarian’ service will

be investigated in conjunction with these resources so students studying at home

need not be isolated.

Information Literacy Skills and Research. To aid the improvement of IL skills, the

existing ‘Information Seekers’ link on the library webpage will be updated

regularly. New resources will be organised collectively for either subject areas or

specific assignments in consultation with teachers. Collectively organised

information could include websites, blogs, wikis and pathfinders created

collaboratively with the classroom teacher, always including tips for information

searching. This approach also counters lack of funding.

Literacy including Peer Tutoring and programs for boys. In collaboration with the

Support Teacher Learning Assistants (STLAs) who run peer tutoring, resources

will be purchased to support students with learning difficulties. These resources

will also support improved results in the NPLAN test. Boys, who represent a

significant portion of reluctant readers, (Pritchard n.d.) will also be targeted with

graphic novels, magazines which reflect their interests (commonly, dirt bikes, pig

shooting etc!) and the online test for the Learner Driver’s License.

Wiradjuri Language. The recent initiative of Wiradjuri language classes and the

construction of the new Language Centre will be supported by appropriate

resources. This will not only enhance the teaching of skills but engender

inclusiveness for the significant Aboriginal population and promote understanding

for non-Aboriginal students. Availability of these resources will support literacy

initiatives, cement the learning of Wiradjuri as part of the curriculum, and attract

students to the library.

Vocational education. Greater consideration will be given to resources for

vocational education in schools in light of both the Federal Government’s ‘Trade

Training in Schools’ program and greater spending on vocational education.

The Physical Collection. Although digital information is increasingly preferred to

print sources, there is still a place for authoritative and relevant print texts.

Subscriptions to magazines, where many are unread, will be reviewed especially

where information is available online. Regular consideration should be given to

how physical spaces in the library are arranged and signposted to encourage users

and make resources easy to access, with a view to changing the layout of the

space in a major way, consolidating computer terminals and creating different

spaces or ‘rooms’. Shelves will be clearly signposted accordingly, and perhaps

genre labels could be attached to spines of books to attract readers. Links for

online resources will be clearly available on the library webpage.

Criteria for Selection

Material will be chosen for inclusion in the library only if it reflects the objectives of the

library in:

1. supporting the teaching of the curriculum by providing information for

students and teachers;

2. supporting the philosophies of reading for pleasure and information as a

lifelong learning tool (Ward; Kearns)

8

The “most appropriate” rather than “the best” (Hughes-Hassell & Mancall) resources will

be purchased, as budget limitations and specific learning needs mean the library cannot

afford to buy materials “just in case”, but there is a need to get them “just in time” (ibid).

Selection will be made according to the needs of users, and especially in the case of

online resources, will be collated by the TL for ease of use and to ensure that there is

information available which has been professionally evaluated.*(Tennant; Johnson)

Material will be collected according to the following criteria:

1. Relevance to the current or future curriculum and reflection of learning

outcomes developed by the Board of Studies and educational goals of the

school.

2. Appropriateness for “subject area, age, emotional development, ability level,

learning styles … social development of students” (Trinity) and cultural and

socio-economic backgrounds, as well as the professional needs of teachers.

3. Appearance and quality of format. Items should attract users, with images,

graphics etc which support the text, and be durable and of good quality.
4. The cost of an item should be considered in terms of value for money,

suitability for users and the achievement of its stated aims.

5. Items selected should help students gain “social and cultural awareness and

sensitivity” by providing access to “local, regional, national and global ideas,

experiences and opinions” (Trinity) and the points of view and contributions

of ethnic Australians to our national heritage (ibid).

6. Accuracy and currency of content. (In regards to online information, the TL

will evaluate resources to ensure they are current and accurate, and collate

them for ease of use)

7. Authority, reputation and qualifications of the author, producer or publisher.

8. “Scope of the work, adequacy of coverage and level of detail” (CMIS). Is the

scope too narrow or too wide for intended users? (PHS CDP)

9. Treatment of the subject in an unbiased way using language accessible to

users at varying levels.

10. Arrangement of information is accessible and readable, and organised to

promote ease of use.

Responsibility for Selection

Final responsibility for the selection of materials for this collection rests with the Teacher

Librarian. However, consultation with all stakeholders, including students, staff and

parents, will also influence the collection, and it is hoped that community members will

make an increasing contribution to the development of the collection (Pollock 2007;

Kennedy 2005; Hughes-Hassel & Mancall 2005).

It is envisaged that a community panel (www.lib.az.us...) will be set up within the next 12

months to discuss selection possibilities. The panel will meet once per term and involve a

representative from each school faculty, students and community/parent representatives,

10

perhaps someone from PSL and possibly ‘guest appearances’ by a representative from the

local A&R store.

In keeping with the aim of attracting more users, meetings of the panel will play a

valuable role in promoting the library to the school community.

Selection Aids
Various methods of selection will be used, including the community selection panel. As

well, bookseller’s, publisher’s catalogues and reviews in professional journals such as

Scan and newspapers will be accessed. Australian Standing Orders will continue to

account for acquisitions, and book lists should be consulted.

Suggestions from students, staff and parents will always be considered, and a suggestion

slip will be available at the library desk and in the school newsletter, to be filled in and

placed in a suggestion box in the library.

Discussion with other librarians, including listservs will also inform purchasing

decisions.

Donations and gifts

Gifts and donated items will be gratefully accepted under the following conditions:

No remuneration will be paid to the donor;

Items will be subject to the selection criteria and accepted or rejected accordingly;

Rejected items will be disposed of as described under ‘Weeding’.

11

Format
The library will collect information in a wide range of formats including:

PRINT

Books, inc

novels

graphic novels

picture books

encyclopedias

dictionaries

thesauruses

other reference

books

Journals

Magazines

Newspapers

Poetry

Song lyrics
Plays

Posters

Examples of

student work

NON-PRINT

Audio CDs

DVDs & video

cassettes, inc

documentaries

films

TV programs

CD-ROMS

Multimedia

Audio books

Radio broadcasts

Music
DIGITAL

Online reference

sources, eg

encyclopedias

dictionaries

WebPages

Computer

software

CD-ROMS

Games

Pathfinders

12

Languages

Languages taught in LOTE (French, German) and the Wiradjuri language classes will be

supported by up-to-date, age-appropriate material. These should include audio-visual

material and CD-ROMS to attract users for practice and revision.

These items will be available for loan to parents who are interested in learning the basics

of a language, perhaps in preparation for an overseas holiday. The purpose of this is

three-fold – it will increase value for money of expensive resources, encourage parent

participation in their child’s education, and promote the library. The scheme will be

advertised in the school’s monthly newsletter.

Duplicate Copies

Because of budget limitations duplicate copies of library materials will not be purchased

unless:

They are particularly useful for the completion of an assignment, as recommended

by the teacher;

They are very popular fiction titles, like the John Marsden, Harry Potter or

Twilight series’;

They are sought after study guides for senior students.

The resources held by the PSL should also be considered when ordering duplicate copies.

Generally, the acquisition of new titles will take priority over old items.

13
The cataloguing of class sets has not traditionally been a PHS library function, however

this may change as certain faculties attempt to improve the return rate of text books

issued to students (again, a budgeting necessity).

Collection Evaluation

Lost Items

The issue of lost items needs to balance the ability of users to pay fines/be subject to

other penalties with the high cost of replacing lost items/limited budget. In terms of

promoting the library, a penalty reinforces the value of resources. The following policy

will be adopted:

staff and students will both be subjected to penalties (currently, the cost of

replacing the item)

at the end of each term the TL with the help of students/staff will visit staffrooms

to reclaim overdue items

at the quarterly community panel meeting, the TL will publish a tally of overdue

books held by each faculty (no names) and the cost

a reward (to be investigated) will be established for borrowers with no overdue

items each term

at the end of each term students will be sent an overdue notice with the cost of the

overdue item.

14

It is hoped that these measure will encourage the return of or payment for overdue/lost

item1

s, although it is realistic to expect that many will be written off.

Weeding

Weeding, or deselection, will be part of a continuous process2

of collection evaluation

conducted by the TL in consultation with the community panel. An appraisal of the

collection aided by tools such as collection mapping, surveys and circulation reports

should be the basis of decisions to remove items from the collection. Weeding is

important to free up space and keep shelves looking attractive to encourage use; and,

most importantly, to ensure users have access to the most relevant and up-to-date

information – “out of date information is never better than no information” (Baumbach &
Miller 2006, p6). Weeding is also a great opportunity to enlist the support of teachers

who are most aware of curriculum needs and changes (ibid).

The following factors will be considered when discarding items:

Lack of use. An item will be discarded if it has not been used in 5 years.

However, care should be taken to consult with teachers especially to prevent the

disposal of items used in-house, for example the photocopying of pages.

Poor physical condition.

Lack of accuracy or relevancy, eg science, political or history texts may be

inaccurate, biased or stereotyped (although for these reasons they may be useful

for comparative contextual studies)

No longer supports the curriculum.

About 60% of lost books are currently paid for by students. Staff, however, do not pay although it is part

of the Library Policy that they should (see Appendix A).

2
Currently conducted annually during stock take.

15

Information is available in a more appropriate format, eg CD-ROM, TL-evaluated

website.

Superseded by new edition.

(Kennedy 2005; Hughes 2006)

An item will not be discarded if it is:

“of research value [as part of the furriculum];

Of local interest or local historical value;

Contributes to the balance of the collection;

Is a rare item.” (Hughes 2006, p7)

Challenged materials

If an objection is made to an item in the collection, the complainant will be asked to fill

out a “Request for consideration of a book” form, (Appendix B). A book will not be

withdrawn from the collection on the basis of isolated complaints, but overwhelming

objections will be referred to the community panel, and then to the Principal for a final
decision. The attention of complainants will be drawn to the ALIA Statement of Free

Access to Information. (See page 2 for web address).

16

1. INTRODUCTION
  Purpose
The Ottenheimer Library selects materials primarily for the instructional and research activities of the students, faculty, and staff at
the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The library’s Collection Management Guidelines: Overview states the overarching principles
that the library follows in the selection and acquisition of library materials. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide consistency
among the persons responsible for collection management and to communicate library policy to the faculty, staff, students, and the
community. Guidelines for subject areas are at Collection Management Guidelines: Subjects.
 

 Library Mission
Based upon its responsibility to the university as stated in the library mission statement: “Ottenheimer Library collects, organizes,
and provides access to information resources and library services that enrich and support the university’s research and teaching
mission, foster intellectual development, and promote academic excellence.” The library fulfills its mission by building a rich resource
of research materials, providing access to collections and services, maintaining a dialogue with the scholarly community, encouraging
public engagement, and forming external alliances.
 

 Audience
The main audience for these guidelines is the university community of faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Other users and
potential resource sharing partners may also find the guidelines useful.
Return to Table of Contents

2. OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

 Subject Areas and Collection Arrangement
The primary subject areas collected are those that support the instructional and research activities of the university. The majority of
print materials are arranged by the Library of Congress Classification System.
 
  Language
The main language of the collection is English. The library collects materials in other languages based on their relevance to university
programs with a foreign language component. Additional criteria considered for the acquisition of foreign language materials are the
reputation of the author and the publisher.
 

 Selection Responsibility
Final responsibility for the development and maintenance of the library’s collection rests with the dean. The director of technical
services and technology oversees the collection management program. The collection management librarian, library selectors, and
faculty liaisons actively participate in the selection of materials for the collection.
 

 Collection Management Librarian

The collection management librarian coordinates the selection of library materials in all formats. Requests for purchases come
from faculty liaisons and from library selectors.
 

 Faculty Liaisons
Faculty liaisons are teaching faculty chosen by their departments to solicit requests for library materials from their colleagues to
support teaching and research. The liaisons facilitate communication between the university’s academic units and the library’s
collection management department.
 

 Library Selectors
Library selectors participate in the selection and evaluation of materials for the library. Selectors work within the constraints of
the library’s budget and follow the principles written in: Collection Management Guidelines: Overview.
Return to Table of Contents
3. FUNDING AND BUDGET ALLOCATION
Funds to purchase library resources originate primarily from state appropriations and from tuition revenue.  Supplemental funds come from
gifts, grants, and other sources which are generally limited and ordinarily have restrictions on their use. The director for technical services and
technology administers the materials budget with input from other library administrators, the head of acquisitions, and the collection
development librarian. The budget is typically divided between one-time and ongoing expenditures. Ongoing publications (journals, databases)
receive the initial allocation.  Remaining funds are allocated for one-time expenditures (books, DVDs, CDs). Based on institutional priorities the
library allocates its materials budget by subject using a series of fund codes to track expenditures. The materials budget supports the purchase
of all formats designated in section 5 of the Collection Management Guidelines: Overview and provides funding for:
 Access charges for electronic resources.
 Membership in consortia.
 Access to and preservation of purchased and donated library resources.

4. CONSORTIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND RESOURCE SHARING

The library participates in national, regional, and statewide consortia. As a member of ARKLink, Amigos, Greater Western Library Alliance
(GWLA), and LYRASIS, the library receives discounts for the acquisition and/or licensing of electronic content. The library also participates in
the National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program and pursues informal consortial
arrangements with other University of Arkansas libraries. Membership in OCLC and ARKLink allows the library to borrow from and share its
resources with other libraries through interlibrary loan and reciprocal borrowing arrangements.

Return to Table of Contents

5. SELECTION GUIDELINES
Support of the university’s teaching and research programs is the library’s highest priority in selecting materials for its collections. The library
acquires and/or licenses resources produced in all formats, but reserves the right to reject purchasing in a format considered obsolete,
outdated, or unproven. Generally, the library does not purchase multiple copies of any title. All purchases depend on the availability of
funds.Types of Materials Collected
  Books
The library acquires books in print or in electronic format.
 Electronic Resources
E-resources acquired and/or licensed include, but are not limited to, electronic journals, online databases, electronic reference
materials, electronic books, and streaming media collections. Due to the unique nature of e-resources, the library uses special criteria
for selection. See Collection Management Guidelines: Electronic Resources  for these criteria.
 Journals and Newspapers
The preferred format for journals and newspapers is electronic. The library rarely acquires new subscriptions to these materials in
print.
 Media
The library acquires sound and visual recordings on digital video disc (DVD) compact disc (CD), and streaming audio.
 Microforms
The library acquires microform materials selectively.
 Musical Scores
Single copies of musical scores are acquired as needed in support of the curriculum and upon specific request of an instructor.
 Maps
The library purchases maps, atlases, globes, and charts selectively. The government documents collection regularly receives maps
from the U.S. Government Printing Office as part of the depository program.
Return to Table of Contents

6. SPECIAL TYPES OF MATERIALS AND COLLECTIONS

 Children’s Books
The library acquires children’s books primarily to provide a working collection for students enrolled in the College of Education
programs. Award-winning children’s books receive first priority.
 Dissertations, Theses
Students at UALR submit dissertations and theses electronically to ProQuest as mandated by the university, and provide the library a
print copy. The library does not ordinarily acquire dissertations and theses produced at other universities.
  Textbooks
The library does not routinely acquire current course textbooks. The library may acquire and /or license textbooks that are considered
definitive sources in a subject area.
 Gift Materials
Gift materials are subject to the same criteria for addition to the collection as purchased materials. The library reserves the right to
accept or reject gifts and the right to dispose of unwanted gift material. Detailed criteria for gift collections are in: Collection
Management Guidelines: Gift and Donations.
 Government Publications
The library is a selective depository for Federal and European Union documents.  Detailed selection criteria for the documents
collections are in: Collection Management Guidelines: Government Documents.
 Reference Collection
The head of the reference department coordinates the selection of reference resources in all types and formats. Detailed selection
criteria for the reference collection are in:  Collection Management Guidelines: Reference.
 Special Collections
The library’s Special Collections contain materials that are historically significant to the university, as well as research materials that
are rare and/or fragile.
Return to Table of Contents

7. EVALUATION OF THE COLLECTION

Weeding, preservation and conservation, and replacement are all important aspects of collection evaluation. Responsibility and authority for the
preceding activities are shared by the director of technical services and technology, the collection development librarian, and library selectors.
 Weeding
Weeding is an essential, continuing library practice in which materials are removed permanently from the library’s collections.
Whenever possible, both teaching faculty and library personnel participate in the process to ensure that publications of historical or
research significance are not discarded. Detailed criteria for weeding are in: Collection Management Guidelines: Weeding.
 Preservation and Conservation
Preservation is the activity to prevent, eliminate, or retard deterioration of library resources. The library protects the physical integrity
 of materials in the collection through conservation measures, such as temperature and humidity control. The library acquires
replacements in available formats, or by having damaged materials professionally rebound.
 Replacements
Materials in various formats that are missing, lost, damaged, or withdrawn are not automatically replaced. Potential replacements are
evaluated using the same criteria for selection as regularly acquired and /or licensed items. Heavily used materials will be replaced as
funding permits.
Return to Table of Contents

8. REVIEW AND REVISION OF GUIDELINES

The collection management librarian and other designated library personnel will review the Collection Management Guidelines:
Overview annually.

9. INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
The library community has adopted various documents defining aspects of intellectual freedom. The library supports the American Library
Association’s Bill Of Rights, Freedom To Read Statement, and the American Film and Video Association’s Freedom to View Statement. The
Library also endorses the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries as approved by the Association of College and Research
Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors. Any individual or group questioning the appropriateness of materials within the collection will be referred to
the director of technical services and technology.

Return to Table of Contents

10.COPYRIGHT
The library adheres to provisions of the United States Copyright Law and related guidelines.
 11.GLOSSARY
Acquisitions. Process of ordering and receiving library resources.
Amigos. Consortium of libraries primarily in the Southwestern United States that provide opportunities for networking, collaboration, and cost
savings through group purchasing for products and services.
ARKlink. Consortium of Arkansas college and university libraries cooperating to purchase and deliver services and collections to researchers in
the state.
Collection Management. Process of selecting library resources and evaluating materials for cancellation, withdrawal, and preservation.
EPSCoR. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. National Science Foundation program designed to strengthen research and
education in science and engineering throughout the United States.
GWLA. Greater Western Library Alliance. Regional consortium of libraries in the Midwest, South, and Central United States that provide
opportunities for networking, collaboration, and cost savings through group purchasing for products and services.
Library of Congress Classification system. A system developed by the Library of Congress to organize and arrange library resources on the
shelves.
LYRASIS. Membership organization of  libraries in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions of the U.S that provide
opportunities for networking, collaboration, and cost savings through group purchasing for products and services.
Microforms. Reduced images of print materials produced on reels (microfilm) or flat sheets (microfiche).
OCLC. International organization providing library services (cataloging, interlibrary loan) and access to online databases.
Weeding. Process of selecting items for withdrawal from the collection.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Collection Development Policy Revision Committee thanks the FAU Libraries for granting permission to use their policy as a
model.  http://www.library.fau.edu/policies/cd_fau.htm#collection.

Created September 1997

Revised December 2012 by the Collection Development Policy Revision Committee
Carol Macheak
Donna Rose
John Warrick
Maureen James, Chair

The purpose of the Collection Development Policy (Print & AV)

 

The Collection Development Policy for Print & AV materials is a set of guidelines used by the Library staff to select print and audio visual materials. This is to help fulfill an
important goal of the Library, which is to develop and maintain a collection that matches the curriculum and research profiles of all academic disciplines covered by the
entire university community. The Policy will also help users understand better the reasons behind the Library decision on selection and purchasing of library materials.

How are library materials selected and purchased?

Subject librarians are responsible for the selection of print and AV materials in the subject areas that they are assigned to. Their selection is based on individual subject
profiles which lists the collection intensity level for each topical area identified by the Library of Congress Classification number. The subject profiles are drafted by subject
librarians and approved by the respective faculty staff. The subject profiles also form the basis on which approval plans with vendors are initiated. The approval plans
enable vendors to send new books to the Library which meet the requirements in the subject profiles automatically, thus speeding up the procurement process. After
selection, the Acquisitions Division will follow up with the procurement of the materials.

What is selection.

Selection and its related activity; appraisal, are essential elements in collections management. Selection has an importance at all levels of
collection from the lending or access situations, either by direct physical means or provision in data banks for electronic transmission, through to
the national library and the archive. Selection is arguably the most important and at the same time the most difficult of all the activities of the
archivist, curator or librarian, especially those dealing with audiovisual materials and imposes a discipline on the collector almost from the
beginning. The very consideration of what to collect or how wide a range of material one includes in a collection is one of the first principles of
selection.

Appraisal.
This has been mentioned already and although it is closely allied to selection it may occur on a different timescale and has a different purpose. It
is the intellectual decision making which should precede selection: it is the activity which attempts to determine the value and disposition of
records based on their administrative and legal use; their evidential, informational or research value; their arrangement and their relationship to
other records. Appraisal is also aimed at determining the intrinsic value of the material, that is records which have qualities and characteristics
which make records in their intrinsic form the only acceptable one for preservation. eg. The presentation of a musical work as a recording or a
series of pictures produced as a motion picture has an intrinsic value in the form presented: a piece of textual information has its own value,
regardless of the form. It is argued that this concept adds another dimension to the selection and appraisal of audiovisual materials, and it is often
a difficult decision to make for technical reasons. The form (not the format) of presentation acquires a greater significance for audiovisual
materials.

In theory appraisal should precede acquisition, in practice it seldom does with audiovisual documents. Appraisal is usually applied to whole
collections or bodies of material; the audiovisual archivist seldom has this amount of material to choose from, and has to deal in what has
managed to survive until the point in time he is able to collect or preserve the material. Selection in audiovisual collections is more akin to
'reappraisal' to rationalise the collection.

Why Select?

Selection is an inevitable process and there are several powerful arguments for its application. The first could be said to be that we cannot collect
and conserve everything, it is a physical impossibility, another is that a collection has to appear as a coherent and cohesive body of material useful
for a particular purpose, usually the collection involved, another is that if we do not select with reasonable care then what is the point of spending
resources of time and money documenting, storing and preserving material which is not of archival value?

Selection has been made even more imperative as a result of the increased ease of recording. As tape recording has become easier and the
equipment less cumbersome more and more recording is made possible by a greater variety of people. No longer is it the sole province of a
technician to record material for preservation purposes.

We cannot keep everything. That is rule number one. A recent World Survey carried out by the Library of Congress produced some startling
figures. Remember that we are talking about audiovisual materials of moving image and recorded sound which have been around for just over a
century. The World Survey indicated that some 93,731,000 items (74,403,500 sound recordings; 10,108,500 reels of film; and 9,219,000 video
recordings) are housed in the 500 archives surveyed, let alone the large collections. When one looks at the commercial output of moving images
and sound recordings the figures rise exponentially. There is also the mass of material produced non-commercially, and by broadcasting, where
far more material is recorded than transmitted and untransmitted material may be potentially valuable for later usage. Specialized subject
collections may also contain recorded material or the archivist may have conducted interviews which have been edited down for public access
purposes, but the unedited material has its own value.

It is a dereliction of our duty as information providers not to select the material for preservation and future use. Not only is there not enough
storage space, there are not enough resources to keep all the material intact. Additionally audiovisual materials are very slow to work with, they
take real time to view, listen to and hopefully appreciate. Selection principles try to produce a collection which is easily accessible. Too much
information can be as difficult to handle as too little - it is equally difficult to access and discover the material which would be most useful. The
idea that you can, with the aid of modern technology, store everything easily on data banks or those convenient little cassettes appeals to the
research worker, but they forget the amount of time needed to access audiovisual materials even with sophisticated retrieval techniques, and also
the amount of time and effort required to enter the information on to the database in a retrievable or accessible form.

There are three stages in the collection and management of materials - any materials - where selection is necessary.

1. Before acquisition, or on acquisition of a new collection or item, to determine whether this item will add to the value of the collection
2. After acquisition to rationalise the collection and
3. To determine priorities for preservation and conservation of the collection whether it is recently acquired or long received.

Each of these stages has its own requirements, rules and criteria.

Who Selects

It is necessary to establish who will select the material and then formulate the criteria for selection. Some archives have selection staff who
concentrate on the areas of acquisition and selection, others use a system of selection committees. But selection by consultation and committee is
not necessarily a good thing. It is fraught with difficulty when sectional interests appear and squabbles break out between people from different
disciplines. A short piece paraphrased from a book on Archive Administration written in 1922 by Hilary Jenkinson serves to point out the
dilemma and;
"The archivist is concerned to keep materials intact for the future use of students working upon subjects which neither he nor any one else has
contemplated. The archivist's work is that of conservation and his interest in his archives as archives, not as documents valuable for proving this
or that thesis. How then is he to make judgements and choices on matters which may not be his personal concern. If the archivist cannot be of use,
can we not appeal to the historian - he may seem the obvious person to undertake such a task. As soon, however, as the historian's claims in this
connection are investigated it becomes clear that the choice of him as arbiter of the fate of archives is at least as open to criticism as that of the
archivist. Must he not be regarded, where his own subject is concerned, as a person particularly liable to prejudice? Surely there will always
remain the suspicion that in deciding upon a policy of archive conservation he favoured those archive classes which furthered his own special line
of inquiry. The very fact that a historian is known to have selected for an archive is fatal to its impartiality".

Given the guiding principle that selection is of necessity a major concern of the archivist it is suggested that the people responsible for the
collections are best able to judge what should be included, and all the ramifications of the selection decisions. Specially appointed staff in the
archive can see the wider implications and if thoroughly versed in the aims and objectives of the particular archive are in a good position to select,
but to be effective they must be carefully chosen, and they should have a set of criteria to work with.

Principles

As an essential part of archive and collections management selection has been discussed for many years and the criteria used have been developed
and in some cases published. There is a general, and not surprising, concensus of opinion about the essentials in many of the guidelines. There are
several sources for guidelines which have been given a wider coverage than the collections for which they were developed. These include the
RAMP studies of UNESCO for moving images, sound recordings and photographs, by Kula, Harrison and Leary. Selection in Sound Archives,
edited by Helen Harrison andSound Archive Administration by Alan Ward contain useful material, in Selection in Sound Archives the National
Archives and Record Service of the USA criteria are reprinted, and the criteria used in the National Film and Sound Archive, Australia appear in
the Phonographic Bulletin.

Many of the guidelines and lists of criteria contain similar elements and these can be summarised:

Function and terms of reference of the archive

If the first principle of selection is to produce a collection of relevance and manageable proportions within the institution, the purpose of selection
is to ensure a balanced, representative collection of material relevant to the nature of the subject matter of the archive concerned. This means
different archives will have different selection policies according to the intended use of the collection. Selecting material within areas of interest
of the individual archive immediately raises the question of what is in the field of interest and what is outside? There will, almost inevitably, be
grey areas where the material could be considered of use to the archive in conjunction with the rest of the collection.

Is the material relevant to the collection, does it add significant, or useful material of interest to the present and future user of the collection, and if
so can the costs of storage and preservation be justified. How much can the collection cope with? If the material is of doubtful use to a particular
collection should it be referred elsewhere. Should material already in the collection be deselected as a result of the new acquisition?

Quantity. Many audiovisual materials may be collected in greater numbers than others if only because several versions of an event or several
interpretations of an item have to be retained. one would not contemplate keeping only one interpretation of a musical work, the performance has
an influence and an interest. Edited and unedited, cut and uncut versions of many audiovisual works have to be retained as the unedited material
contains far more information than was ever distributed. Unedited material also forms the basis of many future productions. A film may be
available in cut and uncut versions, for example we are increasingly getting the directors' cut for the authentic view of the work, or the producers
cut for commercial release. All these may have their value as records of the work, or as a statement of the social aura at the time of release. How
do you choose and what do you choose? All episodes of a television series may have to be kept - for it is always the episodes discarded which will
be remembered for something special. Serials of course have to be kept in entirety or not at all. News items may have to be kept in several
versions, perhaps in separate collections to reflect different points of view. Newsreels are historical records and should be kept in entirety. The
same has been argued for television newscasts and it has even been argued that complete transmissions from a year should be kept. Television has
a huge output and the selection process is usually much more stringent than in many other collections.

Uniqueness or rarity

Material for archival preservation should be either unique to a collection or not duplicated in several existing collections where there may be a
waste of resources preserving the same thing three or four times over. Is the material offered a rare source of information on its subject. The
audiovisual archivist has to bear in mind that legal deposit has been rare until recently and material may have been dispersed or collected
erratically so that one archive cannot assume that any other is collecting in a particular area or country of origin. In these circumstances it
becomes important for all archives to have selection policies and to discuss their policies with other archives both nationally and internationally
and ensure that valuable material is kept somewhere, but not in each and every archive.

The status of the copies could also be taken into account, are they original recordings or copies where the original is inaccessible for some reason.
Integrity. Selection has always had to be sophisticated in assessing the material for disposal. There have been many fakes or manipulations
involving av materials. This can range from the use of substitutes to illustrate events - the substitution of the Mauritania for the sinking of the
Lusitania, pictures from one conflict used as 'illustrations' of another, bias created by inaccurate juxtapositions of shots and interviews, mis-
identification of people, places and things, wrong locations for films, tidying up of performances where a musical work has literally been stitched
together making the performer sound better than they were. I watch with horror some of the manipulation of images on a computer, just as I watch
with horror the writers of second-rate research papers plagiarising original thought, word and image, cobbling the materials together to
misrepresent and clogging up the access mechanisms. The selector has to be aware of these manipulations and misrepresentations and try to
maintain the integrity of the collection.

Intrinsic value.

This is a difficult principle to apply and it relates to many of the other principles mentioned already. It is the archival term applied to permanently
valuable records which have qualities or characteristics that make the records in their intrinsic form the only acceptable for preservation.
Difficulties will arise with audiovisual materials for technical reasons, but some records may be kept as examples of the artefact or particular
recording material if this can be done safely.

Quality

This is a relative principle; closely related to the unique quality of the material. In theory the best quality or material closest to the original should
be selected, but sometimes when the only available material is of poor quality its unique nature overrides the principle of quality. A closely
related factor is that of technological change which may mean a recording is only available on an 'obsolete' carrier. Archives should not select on
the basis of whether or not they can replay material - this is library selection. An archive must consider other qualities of the material and if it is
essential to the collection, but on an unplayable medium, an archive needs facilities to transfer it to a usable medium. If the material is in poor
condition the selector has to be able to justify the cost of preservation work with the unique or rare content.

Digital vs analogue. This is not the place to go into technical details, I would not presume so far. But it is almost certain for the near future that
material which will be selected for special treatment by the Memory of the World programme will have to remain on its original carriers for a
while yet. It cannot remain so indefinitely, sooner or later the carrier will decay the nitrate film may moulder and worse spontaneously combust,
film or magnetic tape may develop vinegar syndrome, the CDs will develop 'laser rot' or the surface oxidise - a recent article spoke of tell tale
signs on a CD after 5 years, photographic film will deteriorate in density and colour of image. Constant transfers of analogue data will result in a
degradation of the image or sound quality, whereas material transferred to the digital mode should at least retain its information and not degrade.
This does not necessarily mean that digital data is better than analogue per se to my untutored mind, but it is better for the longer integrity of the
information.

Copyright/ownership/obligations

Legal deposit has been a rarity for audiovisual materials until recently and audiovisual collections have other acquisition policies in force. These
may come with certain restrictions imposed by the donor. Some material may in effect be 'unusable' because of copyright or contractual
restrictions. Restrictions imposed on the archive by the donor may involve not permitting copying of the material for preservation purposes, not
allowing access and other strictures such as return of material on demand. If the depositor imposes restrictive conditions then the selector must
decide whether the material is of sufficient value to justify the cost of administering the restrictions. Film archives have some of the most difficult
decisions to make in this regard. Audiovisual collections need to select for acquisition, for preservation and for access, and all of these may be
restricted by contracts, and copyright. The decisions have to be taken before deposit.

Timing.

The timing of selection is also an important principle. It should never be a once-and-for-all decision. Some material need be kept for only short
periods while checks are made on existing material which it may duplicate. Better quality or more complete material may be offered. Other
material can be looked at retrospectively after a period or periods of time. Most archives which practice selection will be found to use this
principle.

Objectivity within guidelines

This is one of the main principles of selection rather than a criterion. Selection staff should be as objective and free from bias as possible within
realistic parameters. Hindsight is a useful mechanism and it can be achieved by adopting a long term policy of selection. Optimum selection
decisions are best taken after a 'decent' interval.

Repatriation and deselection

Deselection has already been mentioned in the context of relevance to the collection, or the acquisition of more complete material, or better
technical quality. Repatriation is another consideration closely allied to survival, restoration, selection and deselection. Many institutions currently
hold material which belongs to another country or a redeveloping country. Spoils of war are included in this definition, as also are materials
rescued from the ravages of neglect and natural disasters. Ethical considerations may suggest that such materials should be repatriated to the
country of origin, but this is not always possible, and the materials may be being repatriated to an area or institution which has neither the
resources, nor the current physical or political climate to cope. It is a dilemma for the archivist, especially when the means for conserving all the
materials, both those relevant to the collection and those of more peripheral interest are both involved.

Related Documentation. With audiovisual documents the documentation which comes with the 'blind' materials is of great importance. Without
some background materials, a shotlist, a script, a descriptive sheet, the material could be unidentifiable. Such related material should also be
retained and maintained as well as matched with the material. If related documentation is not available the research and effort involved in tracing
the material will have to be weighed against the value of the material itself. Related documentation will also have to be stored separately and kept
linked to the material on a database.

Selection of audiovisual materials and the Memory of the World project.

The Memory of the World programme is an attempt to save a proportion of the cultural heritage and the documents which form and portray that
heritage. Audiovisual documents, most of which have been produced in the 20th century are an important record of the cultural heritage of this
century, but they are among the most vulnerable to destruction, and/or manipulation. What should we try to save first. In order to decide this
initial steps are being taken in providing inventories of lost and endangered collections as well as work in progress to save the material. The lost
collections will be a sad reminder of the ravages of time, chemistry, natural and man-made disasters; the endangered collections will provide the
core of material to which selection principles and priorities can be applied. The inventory of work in progress will help to avoid duplication of
effort and waste of resources. Information about existing collections in the way of Directories of holdings can supplement these inventories.

When considering the Memory of the World project we are not talking about all selection - we are actually talking about more stringent decisions.
It has to be left to the established institutions and archives to look after their own materials and then perhaps be enlisted to rescue in addition the
endangered collections, for it is only the existing institutions and commercial laboratories who can save such collections. Once the collections are
saved, restored, or whatever has to be done to them a permanent home has to be sought to safeguard the continuing existence of such a collection.
There is little point in using resources to save a collection which then has to go back into a situation where the prognosis for survival is poor.
Already it has been realised that selection will be of paramount importance in the Memory of the World project and the draft report identifies
certain principles of selection for survival.

The project will also concentrate on collections, rather than individual items - they can and should be saved by the relevant institutions. Factors to
be considered in the selection will include:

"The content and its artistic, cultural, literary or scientific value, the national, regional or international significance, the context, the physical
condition, the degree of risk the material exists in (for example, a war zone or disaster area.) and the project's feasibility (whether it can be carried
out in a reasonable period of time). Priority will be given to activities concerning a region, a number of countries or a national project which is of
international importance and to an entire collection rather than just individual items. Special consideration will be given to the problem of
reconstituting the memory of a people in the case of dispersed or displaced holdings. Combinations of these criteria will determine the uniqueness
of the collection or holding and the consequences of its loss for humanity should it become irreparably damaged." 10

AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY

The following is the selection policy for Guelph Public Library’s audio/visual materials:

The Guelph Public Library will acquire Audio-Visual materials to meet the cultural, instructional, informational, and leisure needs of the community recognizing the
changing interests and variety of tastes and ages.

AV Selection criteria.
Because of the great diversity of materials available, no single set of criteria can be applied to all items. Some items are judged primarily in terms of artistic merit or
documentation of the times, while others are selected to satisfy recreational needs of the community. Titles may be evaluated using one or more of the following criteria:
 High interest
 Quality of production
 Canadian content
 Contribution to the balance of treatment of a controversial subject
 Strengths and weaknesses of the current collection
 Timeliness and accuracy of the information
 Budgeting consideration
 Space restrictions
 Awards and recommendations
 Favourable reviews in recognized reviewing journals
 Contemporary significance or permanent value
 Literary and/or artistic merit and excellence
 Recognized performer, composer, director or artist
 Records diversity of thought, expression, opinions, ideas, to make creative imagination freely available to all.
Selection responsibility
Decisions relating to selection and purchase all Audio/Visual materials will be the responsibility of the Manager of Extension Services
COLLECTIONS
Video and DVD collection
The library collects VHS and DVDs to supplement the print and non-print collections and to provide information that may not be available in any other format. The library
will migrate to an all Digital Video Disc (DVD) format retaining only those VHS titles that are not available in the DVD format.

Goals
 The collection should be well balanced, serving the needs of the entire community. Materials will be selected for all ages & all levels of comprehension.
 Materials will be considered in terms of timeliness, demand, quality, and authority
 The collection will represent all sides of a wide range of issues.
Selection criteria
This collection consists of non-fiction and fiction video cassettes and DVDs in a wide variety of general subjects for all ages.
1. All general nonfiction subjects are purchased including the following:
 Educational, informational, how-to, health related, travel, biography, etc.
 Programs produced by network & non-premium cable TV, educational channels (e.g. A&E, Animal Planet, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, History channel, National
Geographic, PBS, TLC, Travel channel, etc.)
 Original Broadway plays & musicals.
 Music & comedic performances appropriate for general audiences
2. Feature films
 Notable Canadian productions
 Films made for children & families
 Films favorably reviewed by reputable, nationally recognized critics
 Films judged by critics to be *Classics (production dates of 20 years or more) with some literary connection, i.e. play, book based.
 Films of great cultural significance or considerable cult status
 Animated cartoons appropriate for general audiences
 Current releases will be considered on the basis of their literary, cinematic, and/or historical significance
3. Award winning films
Films that have won one or more of the following award will be considered for purchase.
 Academy Awards
 Golden Globe
 Film festival entries based on reviews and relevance to collections and selection criteria

Music recordings
This collection consists of music recordings covering a wide variety of genres. The collection includes, but is not limited to, classical, country, rock, pop, jazz, gospel,
humor, folk, easy listening, rhythm and blues, new age, world, movie soundtracks, holiday and children.
Book recordings
This collection consists of spoken recording of adult fiction and non-fiction in unabridged format. The fiction collection includes classics and popular fiction. The
nonfiction collection covers a range of subject areas including bestsellers, instruction, self-improvement, language, etc.
New Media
From time to time new forms of AV media are introduced into the market place. Often these new products enjoy only brief popularity before losing their market to other
newer forms of AV media. Many of these newer forms of AV media require expensive playback equipment for use. New AV media forms are studied carefully to assess their
suitability for public library use, and sufficient time is allowed to properly determine whether they will receive lasting and widespread public acceptance before collection
of such new forms of media are added to the library.
When deciding whether to replace or augment existing formats with new media, the following factors are considered:
 Anticipated improvements in information storage and retrieval
 User demand
 Quality of the product
 Ease of use
 Equipment requirements
 Cost processing requirements
 Maintenance
Retention/Weeding
Evaluation of the Audio/Visual collection is an on-going process. The following criteria considered when making the decision to retain, replace, or weed are:
 Significance and relevance to current holdings
 Presence of multiple copies
 Titles in a series
 Circulation statistics
 Age and physical condition
 Timeliness of materials
 Shelf space
 New technology.