Collection Development/Management Policy

Last Revised: October 2015

Table of Contents

Introduction

Scope of Collection

Collection Policies

Collection Maintenance

Collection Development

References

Introduction

Mission Statement
The Rose Public Library strives to increase literacy skills, enjoyment of reading, access
to resources and information, promote learning in general and aid the community and
surrounding schools and institutions through positive collaboration and communication.

Scope of Collection

The Rose Public Library (Rose PL) is a fictional institution in a rural area of North
Carolina. The collection includes both print/physical as well as electronic items and resources.
The physical circulating collection consists of Adult, Young Adult and Juvenile Non-fiction,
Fiction, Graphic/Comic Books, Audiobooks/Music CDs, Videos in the form of DVD/Blu-Ray,
Games/Skill toys, Serials, Government Documents, Tablets and E-readers. The Rose PL includes
Reference items, Maps, Photographs, Manuscripts, and Microfilm which is intended only for use
within the library facility. The Rose PL includes an array of electronic resources including (but
not limited to) access to video, news, and educational databases and software which allows
patrons to check out items electronically (videos, audio, fiction and non-fiction). The main
language of the Rose PL collection is English yet there are many Spanish language items within
the collection. More items in languages alternative from English will be added if demographic
data suggests a need and/or desire for them.

Collection Policies

Selection Responsibility: A panel of library staff/librarians (CM Panel) who have been
trained in the area of collection management are responsible for the selection, acquisition,
maintenance and deselection of library materials. The members of the CM Panel are chosen and
overseen by the director of the Rose PL who retains the authority to delegate operations and
settle any and all disputes that may arise.

Selection Tools: Materials are chosen by reviewing a variety of resources to gain

information about the item/package. Some of these serial resources include: Library Journal,
Booklist, VOYA, New York Times, Salisbury Post, Bookpage, ALA magazine, as well as from
publishers catalogs.
Gifts/Memorial Gifts: The Rose PL accepts both monetary gifts and donations. The
materials received are reviewed for quality and, if the item meets the standards of the collection,
it is added to the circulating collection without the necessity of special circulation procedures. If
the item is in the form of a memorial donation, a designation will be added to the item
acknowledging the contribution with the name of the person/group of the donors choosing. The
donor will receive a letter of acknowledgement and will be informed about the outcome of the
gift.
Patron Recommendations: Patrons may fill out a request form to bid for the inclusion
of or access to an item that is not available within the collection. If approved by the CM Panel,
they will review the request to determine the best method of delivery of the item to the patron
(add to the current collection, interlibrary loan, etc.).
Selection Criteria: The CM Panel will use their knowledge of collection management,
the surrounding community, and the current collection to select materials to be added. Those
responsible for selection review materials using the following general criteria:

Benefits the community by filling a need/gap in the current collection

Coincides with community interests and trends

Subject matter holds current, local, and/or historical value

Author holds local significance

Format coincides with library circulation capabilities

Date of publication

Degree of demand and/or anticipated demand

Credentials of the author, publisher or producer

Cost of item

Availability of library funds, materials budget

Degree of critical review and/or publicity

Collection Maintenance

Maintenance Responsibility: The CM Panel are responsible for the selection,

acquisition, maintenance and deselection of library materials. The CM Panel should evaluate the
collection regularly using statistics and data collection tools (ex. circulation reports). The CM
Panel make decisions about which materials are to be removed from the collection and which are
to be replaced and/or updated. The actual pulling and deletion process (weeding) of items may be
performed by members of the CM Panel or any other designated library staff.
Request for Removal: Patrons may fill out a request form to bid for the removal of or
access to an item that is currently available within the collection. The CM Panel will review the
request and if approved, determine the best method of removal and disposal.
Deselection Criteria: The CM Panel retain or replace items that have continuing
significance to the surrounding community. To aid in the decision-making process, avoid bias
and keep the collection as progressive and useful as possible, the CM panel consider the
following general criteria while making decisions about which items to retain and which to
remove from the collection:

Patterns/rate of use/demand

Condition of item

Number of copies currently within the collection

Availability elsewhere (nearby libraries/institutions, online, etc.)

No longer coincides with community interests and/or needs

Subject matter holds no current, local, and/or historical value

Outdated or inaccurate material

Legal restrictions
Removal: The process of reselling and/or redistributing library materials that have been

removed from the collection is decided by the CM Panel and carried out with the assistance of
other library staff as well as the Friends of the Rose PL. An annual book sale is held each year to
redistribute funds back in to the library organization.

Collection Development

The CM Panel intends to conduct research in the form of surveys to identify user needs,
local interests, demographic data and trends within the community. This needs assessment will
help guide the collections acquisition and deselection process in the upcoming years. The
selection process takes place throughout the fiscal year. The deselection process takes place each
year between September-November. The collection development/management policy is updated
every three-years.

References
Catawba County Library System (2012). Collection Development. Newton, NC. Retrieved from
http://www.catawbacountync.gov/library/CollectionDevelopmentPolicy.pdf
Denver Public Library (2014). Collection Development Policy. Denver, CO. Retrieved from
https://www.denverlibrary.org/files/Collection_Development_Policy_2014.pdf
FAU Libraries (2015). Collection Development Policy. Boca Raton, FL. Retrieved from
http://www.library.fau.edu/policies/cd_fau.htm
Evans, G. E. & Saponaro, M. Z. (2012). Collection Management Basics. Libraries Unlimited