Guide To Review Of Library Collections

New technologies are making information more fluid, but what does this mean for information providers? Without a doubt, it means that traditional roles are evolving and that the task of providing information demands greater expertise in exploiting new technologies and navigating their uncharted ebbs and flows of information.

This text provides principles and methods for determining if a library collection is fulfilling the stated mission of the library. It is a clear introduction to collection evaluation for the novice collection manager, and it is also useful as a review and reference for the experienced librarian.

Skillfully acquisitions and collection development plays a key role in creating exceptional libraries. These authoritative resources provide the guidance you need to build and maintain the comprehensive, high-quality collection your customers demand. Get expert advice on: a- selecting material from serial to CD-ROMs; b- participating effectively in the budget process; and c- evaluating your existing collections and vendors. Developed by ALA's Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, this blueprint for a collection-development training program can be easily adapted to meet the collection management goals and organizational structures found in libraries of all types and sizes. Outlines for training are given in these areas, among many others: collection and development policies; selection and review processes; weeding and deselection; and navigating electronic networks. The guide divides training into three skill levels, supplies a curriculum framework matched to collection duties, and identifies competencies achievable after training.

Carol Alabaster focuses on developing a collection with high-quality materials while saving time and money.

In this sweeping revision of a text that has become an authoritative standard, expert instructor and librarian Peggy Johnson addresses the art of controlling and updating library collections, whether located locally or accessed remotely. Each chapter offers complete coverage of one aspect of collection development and management, including numerous suggestions for further reading and narrative case studies exploring the issues.

To a new collection development librarian just learning the field or to an experienced practitioner attempting to reorganize a program, the options can be confusing and contradictory. Guide to Collection Development and Management Administration, Organization, and Staffing provides an overview of the organizational alternatives available to libraries by addressing activities and explaining the models used in public, academic, and school libraries. It provides an overview of possible structures and indicates some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.