Transcript How to Teach the Internet: One-on

Library Collection
Management 101
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Instructor: Julie Italiano
[email protected]
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
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Name
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Library
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Position
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Why are you here?
Workshop Overview
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Types of materials
Community needs assessments
Budget considerations
Evaluating and selecting
Collection assessment
Collection maintenance
Challenges
Future trends
Types Of Materials
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Adult
Youth
Reference
Electronic
Adult Core Collections
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Adult Fiction
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current
retrospective (modern/classic)
Adult Non-Fiction
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self-help or legal
test guides
personal finance and job searching
health
travel
Youth Core Collections
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Teen
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contemporary fiction
teen topics
Children’s
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picture books, easy readers
homework assignment material
animals
biographies
Reference Core Collections
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Almanacs
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Others?
Electronic Resources
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Ebooks
Newspapers
Magazines
Databases
Digital formats
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audiobooks
music
videos
Collections Should Be:
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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?
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To identify gaps in service and collections
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Find out who uses the library and materials
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How the community is changing
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Determine if staffing patterns and library
hours are adequate
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If space and building are adequate
Needs Assessments Include
Info That Is…
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Descriptive
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Allows the library to use information to
create collection profiles based on
community interests
Statistical
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Enables an objective approach to building
collections based on data and trends
Descriptive Information
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Historical interest
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Cultural organizations
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social groups
Educational institutions
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background of community
values in community
Recreational opportunities
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community interests
Statistical Information
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Demographic data
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ethnicity
race
language
Geographical data
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growth patterns
population distribution
transportation routes
Ways To Collect Needs
Assessment Information
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Surveys
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user surveys
non-user surveys
Groups
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key informants, such as educators, public
officials, business leaders
community forums involve groups with
shared interests
Share Outcomes
With Community
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Communicate
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post results of surveys online
display questionnaire in library
Report
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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
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Distribution
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past spending patterns
circulation
turnover rates
Standing Orders
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formats
subjects
Alternative Budget Funding
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Friends/Foundations
Grants
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governmental
private
Gifts
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memorials
trusts
Evaluating Gift Materials
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Acceptable gifts for the collection
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replaces a missing copy
replaces a copy in poor condition
replaces an older edition
Unacceptable gifts for the collection
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shows excessive wear
format not consistent with collection
previous rental store use or ownership
How Much Does A Gift Cost?
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Evaluating
Cataloging
Processing
Weeding
Disposing
How Do You Handle Gift
Donations In Your Library?
Unique Stories To Share?
Evaluating Collections
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Collection should reflect quality
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appropriate for community
diverse opinions
Collection should reflect demand
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circulates
what people want
Ways To Be A Good Selector
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Read reviews - Library Journal
Preview publishers materials
Consult bibliographies - Fiction Catalog
Review patron suggestions
Acknowledge staff recommendations
Investigating What To Buy
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Bookstores
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Award lists
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online
in town
Caldecott/Newbery
Popular Culture
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current events
Making Purchasing Decisions
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Subject matter
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Construction
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Potential use
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Relation to collection
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Cost
Selection Criteria For Material
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Accuracy
Authority
Currency
Impartial
Organization
Unique Criteria for
Electronic Selection
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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
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Number of titles
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Age of materials
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range and distribution of publication dates
Use
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physical count of titles from shelves
circulation statistics
turnover rate
Per capita measurements
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how many titles per population
Core Collection Lists
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Verifies selection decisions
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Comparisons with other collections
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Provides information for purchasing
Collection Maintenance
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Weeding
discarding
 withdrawing
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Changing formats
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Replacing materials
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Rotating collections
Why Weeding is Necessary
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Uncovers gaps in collection
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Provides new space
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Increases circulation
Criteria For Weeding
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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
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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
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Discard damaged materials
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Withdraw outdated items
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Dispose of materials
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sell
give away
recycle/destroy
Weeding Examples
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004-006
3/1
025.04
3/1
030
5/x
other 000s
5/3
Computers
Internet
Encyclopedias
When Should You Change
Formats?
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Demand
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Availability
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Durability
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Costs
What Is A Replacement List?
How do you create one?
Replacement Options
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Subject areas
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Title suggestions
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Weeding reports
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Rotating collections
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Last copies
Small Group Exercise #3
Weeding Collections
Challenges For Libraries
Reach Out
Research
Respond
Intellectual Freedom
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Who might be a censor?
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government
community groups
individuals (including librarians)
Need materials representing all sides
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balance in collection
Have You Faced A Challenge?
What Was Your Experience?
Types Of Censorship
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Labeling
Obscenity
Racism
Gender/Sex
Illegal acts
Questionable truth
Stolen items
Defending Material Challenges
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Formal policy and procedure
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Promote Library Bill of Rights
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Communicate intellectual freedom
Small Group Exercise #4
Facing A Challenge
What Are Some Future Trends
In Collection Development?
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Outsourcing selection
Floating collections
GIS software
RFID
WorldCat
Why Outsource Selection?
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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
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Refreshes and revitalize materials
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Increases availability of items
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materials are moved by demand
reduces time spent in shipping
faster service for patrons
Extends the shelf life of materials
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reduces workload for delivery and
circulation staff
GIS Software
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GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
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links tabular data to map coordinates
provides analysis of information by layers
translates data into latitude/longitude
Collection Planning With GIS
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Collects cardholder use
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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
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Locates improperly shelved volumes
Fast, efficient inventory
Searches individual item
Weeds out materials
Resource Sharing Options
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California Libraries Catalog
WorldCat
Open WorldCat
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inter-library loans
shared catalogs
support challenges
Individual Exercise #5
Collection Management Ideas to
Take Back To Your Library