Library Collection Management 101

Instructor: Julie Italiano jitalian@ccclib.org An InfoPeople Workshop Spring 2006

This Workshop Is Brought to You By the Infopeople Project

Infopeople is a federally-funded grant project supported by the California State Library. It provides a wide variety of training to California libraries. Infopeople workshops are offered around the state and are open registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

For a complete list of workshops, and for other information about the project, go to the Infopeople website at infopeople.org.

Introductions

Name

Library

Position

Why are you here?

Workshop Overview Types of materials Community needs assessments Budget considerations Evaluating and selecting Collection assessment Collection maintenance Challenges Future trends

Types Of Materials

Adult Youth Reference Electronic

Adult Core Collections Adult Fiction

current retrospective (modern/classic)

Adult Non-Fiction self-help or legal test guides personal finance and job searching health travel

Youth Core Collections Teen

contemporary fiction teen topics

Children’s picture books, easy readers homework assignment material animals biographies

Reference Core Collections Almanacs Dictionaries Encyclopedias Others?

Electronic Resources Ebooks Newspapers Magazines Databases Digital formats

audiobooks music videos

Collections Should Be:

Appropriate Diverse Circulating What people want

How Do You Find Out What People Want In Your Library?

Conduct A Community Needs Assessment

Why Do A Needs Assessment?

To identify gaps in service and collections

Find out who uses the library and materials

How the community is changing

Determine if staffing patterns and library

hours are adequate

If space and building are adequate

Needs Assessments Include Info That Is…

Descriptive Allows the library to use information

to create collection profiles based on community interests

Statistical Enables an objective approach to

building collections based on data and trends

Descriptive Information Historical interest

background of community Cultural organizations

social groups Educational institutions

values in community Recreational opportunities

community interests

Statistical Information Demographic data

ethnicity race language

Geographical data growth patterns population distribution transportation routes

Ways To Collect Needs Assessment Information

Surveys user surveys non-user surveys

Groups key informants, such as educators,

public officials, business leaders community forums involve groups

with shared interests

Share OutcomesWith Community

Communicate post results of surveys online display questionnaire in library

Report attend faculty meetings at schools Chamber of Commerce luncheons

Small Group Exercise #1

Community Needs Assessment

Budget Considerations

When Can I Start Spending?

Budget Decisions

Distribution past spending patterns circulation turnover rates

Standing Orders formats subjects

Alternative Budget Funding

Friends/Foundations Grants

governmental private

Gifts memorials trusts

Evaluating Gift Materials Acceptable gifts for the collection

replaces a missing copy replaces a copy in poor condition replaces an older edition

Unacceptable gifts for the collection shows excessive wear format not consistent with collection previous rental store use or ownership

How Much Does A Gift Cost?

Evaluating Cataloging Processing Weeding Disposing

How Do You Handle Gift Donations In Your Library?

Unique Stories To Share?

Evaluating Collections

Collection should reflect quality appropriate for community diverse opinions

Collection should reflect demand circulates what people want

Ways To Be A Good Selector

Read reviews - Library Journal Preview publishers materials Consult bibliographies - Fiction

Catalog Review patron suggestions Acknowledge staff recommendations

Investigating What To Buy

Bookstores online in town

Award lists Caldecott/Newbery

Popular Culture current events

Making Purchasing Decisions

Subject matter Construction Potential use Relation to collection Cost

Selection Criteria For Material

Accuracy Authority Currency Impartial Organization

Unique Criteria for Electronic Selection

Licensing Remote use Special equipment Technical support Telecommunications costs

Small Group Exercise #2

Evaluating and Selecting

Assessing Your Collection

How collections are measured

Comparing collection with lists

Quantitative Measurements Number of titles

physical count of titles from shelves Age of materials

range and distribution of publication dates

Use circulation statistics turnover rate

Per capita measurements how many titles per population

Core Collection Lists

Verifies selection decisions Comparisons with other collections Provides information for

purchasing

Collection Maintenance

Weeding discarding withdrawing

Changing formats Replacing materials Rotating collections

Why Weeding is Necessary

Uncovers gaps in collection

Provides new space

Increases circulation

Criteria For Weeding

Misleading or factually inaccurate Ugly (worn out beyond mending) Superseded by a newer edition Trivial ( no literary or scientific

merit) Irrelevant to community needs Elsewhere (borrowed elsewhere)

Why Weeding Doesn’t Happen

It takes too much time If tossed today, will need tomorrow Unable to throw away public

property Won’t have enough books Admits to collection mistakes

How To Weed

Discard damaged materials

Withdraw outdated items

Dispose of materials

sell give away recycle/destroy

Weeding Examples

004-006 Computers3/1

025.04 Internet3/1

030 Encyclopedias5/x

other 000s5/3

When Should You Change Formats?

Demand

Availability

Durability

Costs

What Is A Replacement List?

How do you create one?

Replacement Options

Subject areas

Title suggestions

Weeding reports

Rotating collections

Last copies

Small Group Exercise #3

Weeding Collections

Challenges For Libraries

Reach OutResearchRespond

Intellectual Freedom

Who might be a censor? government community groups individuals (including librarians)

Need materials representing all sides balance in collection

Have You Faced A Challenge?

What Was Your Experience?

Types Of Censorship

Labeling Obscenity Racism Gender/Sex Illegal acts Questionable truth Stolen items

Defending Material Challenges

Formal policy and procedure

Promote Library Bill of Rights

Communicate intellectual freedom

Small Group Exercise #4

Facing A Challenge

What Are Some Future Trends In Collection Development?

Outsourcing selection Floating collections GIS software RFID WorldCat

Why Outsource Selection?

New materials arrive quickly time reduced between selecting/ordering

Rely on expertise vendors stay on top of publishing world

Necessary to place large order opening day collections special grant or gift that needs

expenditure

Floating Collections

Materials that are shared by all communities and are

moved by patrons and not a delivery system

Benefits To Floating Collections Refreshes and revitalize materials

materials are moved by demand Increases availability of items

reduces time spent in shipping faster service for patrons

Extends the shelf life of materials reduces workload for delivery and

circulation staff

GIS Software

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) links tabular data to map coordinates provides analysis of information by

layers translates data into latitude/longitude

Collection Planning With GIS

Collects cardholder use density rate checkout rate turnover rate segmentation analysis circulation rate items borrowed by service area

RFID

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is technology that

uses radio waves to identify objects

RFID Portable Reader

Locates improperly shelved volumes

Fast, efficient inventory Searches individual item Weeds out materials

Resource Sharing Options

California Libraries Catalog WorldCat Open WorldCat

inter-library loans shared catalogs support challenges

Individual Exercise #5

Collection Management Ideas to Take Back To Your Library