Collection DevelopmentCollection Development& Access:& Access:

The implications of Cross-The implications of Cross-Cultural considerations in the Cultural considerations in the

age of Digitizationage of Digitizationprepared by

Rebecca Brock & Anna Joujanfor

IS 554 with Dr. Bharat Mehra

Topic Definition: What is “Collection Development” anyway . . .?an ongoing process“planning and building”“useful and balanced” collection based on assessment of needs [and

wants?]a full-time responsibility!

Context

SPACE: more complicated of an issue than it seems at first glance!

NEED: the librarian’s role in determining community needs [not just wants!]

BUDGET: the crucial nature of managing a [shrinking?] budget

Description

The evolution of “collection development” over the years

Selection policies [instead of committees]Vital role of a vibrant, relevant, and up-to-

date library collection, in an age of competing entertainment

Project Scope

Deciding on the best development methods

Choosing suitable materials for one’s unique needs

Other relevant elements [policies? controversies? guidelines?]

Project Goals

Addressing specific collection needs of a small library [personnel? time? budget limitations?]

Considering unique aspects of a cross-cultural collection [publicity? demand? knowledge? translation?]

The ever-present, and evolving, nature of digitization, as it concerns the library’s collection

Project Justification

Is collection development outdated? No--more variety, and need for consideration than ever!

Do we really still have more to consider? Yes—collection development must be reconsidered, redefined, and refined!

Useful Links

http://www.dlapr.lib.az.us/cdt/intro.htm This website for Arizona libraries has some wonderful information regarding collection development and writing policies.

http://www.loc.gov/acq/colldev/handbook.html -- Library of Congress: Collection Development and the Internet NOTE: this is an excellent handbook that will help any library get started with collection development online

http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/law/acqs/acqs.html This is the largest of the collection development websites and probably the most useful for our purposes. There is a large list of

links to publishers and vendors, and to libraries, including GABRIEL (European national libraries). The publishers directory has broad subject access (art, education).

http://www.arl.org/collect/ This and the ARL Gopher (linked) are among the best collection development sites. There are links to ARL libraries, a directory to

AAU/ARL Demonstration Projects (the German Demonstration Project, for example, tests linking between North American and German libraries), and to recent publications (e.g., "Acquisitions of Western European Materials," "Western European Political Science: An Acquisition Study").

http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/acqsercd.htm Created by Vianne Tang Sha, Automation and Bibliographic Management Librarian, University of Missouri-Columbia, School of

Law Library, this site includes a section with links to online collection development policies and procedures from a number of libraries, as well as sections on software; library journals related to acquisitions and serials; serial vendors; email lists and newsgroups; review sources for books, cd-roms, software, movies and videos; publishers catalogs; lists of foreign book and serial vendors; and under "Reference Tools," links to sites offering currency converters, shipping and postal information, and online glossaries of bibliographic information by language.