Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Collection Evaluation
Collection Evaluation
Analysis
In charting the librarys collection, I was pleased to discover that the Juvenile print
collection in our library is reasonably sized, given our small student body. This averages out to
approximately 34 books per student in the Lower School, which seems reasonable. This chart
does not include DVDs, professional resources, Adult or YA titles, or electronic resources, as
these are housed in a different section of the library and are not available to Lower School
students.
Although our average copyright is 2003 for the collection, I must note that approximately
10% of our books do not have copyright dates entered in the computer database; this is cause for
concern, since the average book is already 12+ years old. Since our school only opened its doors
in 2002, this would indicate that there has been very little turnover in materials since the library
was founded over 10 years ago. While I do not consider the age of the collection to be an
emergency at this time, I am concerned that so little progress toward inclusion of new materials
has been made.
In completing this chart, I have learned that the oldest section in our library is the
Transitional readers. I feel comfortable with this, since most titles have common themes such as
first days of school and adventures for kindergarten, first, and second grade students. These
books remain popular at 8% of circulation, but I would like to add titles to this area to better
represent current and changing interests. Since this is a section frequented by students who are
just becoming avid readers, I want to fully support interest in this collection by adding new titles.
Unsurprisingly, our most popular books are Easy picture books. These account for 31%
of our circulation, but 20% of our collection. Since these are so popular and necessary for our
younger students, I feel that adding to this section will be highly beneficial. Average copyright
age is 2002, which bears updating. Since Morris chart suggests 20-25% for Easy books, I would
feel very comfortable adding another 5-7% (which would be about 275 books), all with recent
copyright dates, to this collection.
Our 300s section is heavy at 10% of the collection and 7% of checkouts. With copyright
dates averaging in 2002, this section should be weeded of older titles; Morris recommends
between 5-10% of the collection reside here, which seems reasonable and in keeping with my
weeding plan. It should be noted that since we have an extensive 398.2 collection, this accounts
for a large percentage of the 300s section. While fairytales are popular, it should be noted that
not all fairytales remain culturally relevant and appropriate after many years.
A top priority given my students interest in household and farm animals, is to add
significantly to the 600s section. Morris recommends having 10% of the collection housed in the
600s, but I currently only have 4%. Compared to the high circulation of 11%, this is by far the
most popular nonfiction section of the library and would benefit greatly from the heavy addition
of new titles.
I feel that charts like this are relevant for todays school libraries so that administrators
may see clearly how the collection stacks up to use. One of the most interesting aspects of this
chart is where collection percentages mirror or fail to mirror circulation statistics. By looking at
student use, we may accurately track what materials are popular and what trends develop over
time. As we track use, we may accurately allocate funds to best benefit our specific student
population over time.
% of Most
# of # that
Highly # of titles
Dewey: Grade Items Average
Recommende
should
Level of support needed recommended
Subject Level on Copyright be for purchase
d titles on
Shelves weeded
shelves
Research: Primary and
520: Stars, Intermediate Science
Planets, K, 1, 13% (61% 12 teachers use materials in
37 2000 (33%) the classroom and send
20
Astronomy, 2, 3, 5 supplemental+)
Space students to the library for
materials.
Supplemental: Students
591.4-5: occasionally receive
Anatomy, PK,1, research assignments and
morphology, 10 2005 30% (90% 1 10
3, 5 supplemental+) have moderate to high
& ecology of personal interest in this
animals section.
Basic: students of all
630: ages enjoy reading about
Farming, PK, K, 5% (17% 27
60 2008 pets. PK-1st grade cover 50
Farm 1 supplemental+) (45%)
Farms and domesticated
Animals, Pets animals in science class.
Research: all levels
from 1st grade up cover
930: Ancient 1, 2, 3, 0% (25% 13+
39 2005 (33%)
ancient civilizations in 20
Civilizations 4, 5 supplemental+)
the Social Studies
curriculum.
Analysis & Reflection
Using my schools Curriculum Chart, I selected four important topics to evaluate: Dewey
520s, Stars, Planets, Astronomy, and Space; Dewey 591.4-591.5, Anatomy, Morphology, and
Ecology of Animals; Dewey 630s, Farming, Farm Animals, and Household Pets; and Dewey
930s, Ancient Civilizations. These topics were selected because they are popular with both
students and teachers alike. The data gathered above provides valuable insight into our
collections strengths, weaknesses, and use. I must note that in assessing the shelf wear and
physical appearance of the collection, many of the 520s, 591s, and 630s are currently checked
out to students or being used by teachers in the classroom. I would assume that additional titles
probably should be weeded due to shelf wear, but cannot name specific titles, so these numbers
may be skewed in favor of less weeding, until such time as the materials that are checked out are
returned and assessed.
In comparing the above 146 titles to Wilsons Core Collection Most Highly
Recommended titles, I was shocked to find such a small portion of our collection meeting this
standard. In recording my findings, I did note that many of the older titles in our collection are
simply not found in Wilsons core collection at all; an average of less than half of our books in
these four categories received any recommendations from this collection at all. With this in
mind, I do not suggest weeding additional titles beyond those listed at this time. I do however
suggest instituting an aggressive 15% weeding program for these and most other sections of the
library on an ongoing basis, to turn over these less-worthy titles over the next five years.
Weeding
The following is a list of materials that should be weeded from the collection. 52 titles are
listed here, representing 38% of this particular selection. Luckily the materials in our collection
seem to be age-appropriate; however, we have many old and outdated texts, many books with
considerable shelf wear, and titles that are simply not being circulated. Although this number and
percentage seems high, I feel that this is a responsible amount of weeding, given the collections
age and shelf wear, combined with circulation statistics and the need for curricular support from
the material.
Call Pub
Title Date Reason to Weed this Title
Number
I wonder why pyramids were built? and other
J 932 STE 1995 Low Circulation; Age; Shelf Wear
questions about ancient Egypt
J 937 CHR Ancient Rome: Come and discover my world 1997 Low Circulation; Age
Pyramids! : 50 hands-on activities to
J 932 HAR 1997 Low Circulation; Age
experience ancient Egypt
I wonder why Romans wore togas and other
937 MAC 1997 Low Circulation; Age
questions about Ancient Rome
J 932 STE The best book of mummies 1998 Low Circulation; Age
Spend the day in ancient Egypt : projects and
J 932 HON 1999 Low Circulation; Age
activities that bring the past to life
Ancient Greece : a guide to the golden age of
938 FER 1999 Low Circulation; Age
Greece
Ancient Rome : a guide to the glory of
937 STR 2000 Low Circulation; Age
imperial Rome
J 938 APE Land and resources of ancient Greece 2004 Low Circulation; Age
J 937 GED Land and resources of ancient Rome 2004 Low Circulation; Age
J 937 MUR The best book of ancient Rome 2004 Low Circulation; Age
J 930.1 Ste Wonders of the world 2007 Shelf Wear; Age
J 932 STE The best book of mummies 1998 Shelf Wear; Age
J 636 Balto 1989 Shelf wear; age
J 636.0 Ven Animals helping people 1983 Age; relevance
J 636 Balto 1989 Low Circulation; Age
J 636.9 Hea Guinea pig 2001 Low Circulation; Age
J 636.8 FOL My cat 2001 Shelf Wear; Age; Low Circulation
J 636.7 HUG My dog 2001 Shelf Wear; Age; Low Circulation
J 639.3 WAL My goldfish 2001 Shelf Wear; Age; Low Circulation
J 636.935 HUG My guinea pig 2001 Shelf Wear; Age; Low Circulation
J 636.6 WAL My parakeet 2001 Shelf Wear; Age; Low Circulation
J 639.2 BRA A day in the life of a colonial sea captain 2002 Low Circulation; Age
J 630 WOL Life on a crop farm 2002 Low Circulation; Age
Of the four topics considered in this section, two require serious research-level support
for student research and projects. According to teachers that I spoke with from all levels of the
school, including the Science department, our collection has been barely meeting these needs.
My teachers have expressed interest in working more closely with the library in the future, in
order to increase project-based learning for all students. From interviewing these teachers while
collecting data for my curriculum chart, I learned that our collection needs to be updated with
newer material that includes high-quality images and new research. Both the 520s and 930s are
used regularly for several grade level projects, and this must be reflected in the collection: we
need more rigorous materials for older students, and considerate texts to enable younger students
to use parts of larger texts. By adding videos to the collection, our library will cater to a more
diverse group of learners, and better serve the community.
It should be noted that we do use the free resource of Encyclopedia Britannica Kids
online, which helps to keep our information on these subjects current, using electronic resources
that are not counted as a part of the librarys collection. Additionally, apps and other technology
materials are available to teachers and students in the Technology classroom, which is adjacent
to the library. At this time the Library and Technology areas are distinct but share apps,
technology, and curricular goals.
For the 630s, students frequently request additional materials regarding household pets
and occasionally use farming or farm animal information for projects. I would estimate that
approximately half of student requests are for additional dog, cat, horse, and other domesticated
animal resources. The books that we do have are constantly fought over, as supply fails to meet
high demand. This is something that has apparently been an issue for the previous librarian as
well, as it was one of the first things that came up in discussing urgency of new material
acquisition.
Students also show interest in wild animals, which is why I chose to look at the small
591.4 591.5 section. Primary science classes cover animal homes and similarities between
humans and animals at a few points in the curriculum, and students tend to enjoy learning more
in the nonfiction section. I notice that our previous librarian noted student interest and selected
good new titles as they became available. This section is very small, and yet seems well looked-
after. I plan to add to this popular section and try to maintain its upkeep.
Considering the need to replace weeded titles and provide additional support for both
curricular needs and student interest, I suggest purchasing many new titles for all three topics
covered in this curriculum map. For 930s and 520s I suggest purchasing 20 titles, which would
add a net gain of 7 titles for the 930s and 8 titles for the 520s. This would help in modernizing
the collection, and would further the curricular support offered by the library. For the 630s, I
suggest purchasing 50 new titles, as this section has very high circulation statistics and I know
that students are often interested in but unable to check out a book due to high interest. This
would add approximately 13 titles to the 630s, after replacing worn and outdated books. I
suggest that these purchases mainly consist of books, because this will allow the greatest student
access to materials. However, I also suggest an additional three non-print titles be purchased for
the 930s and 520s, in order to support all learning styles.
Title: Welcome
to Source: Outstanding Science Trade Books for
Students K12: 2016
Mars: Making a
Issue: 2016
Home on the Red Summarized review: As NASA prepares for
Planet a future mission to Mars, moon explorer Buzz
Author: Buzz Aldrin Aldrin offers valuable insights, based upon
ISBN: the latest thoughts on what it will take for
Publisher: National human habitation on Mars to become a
Geographic reality.
Dewey number: 523.4
Cost: $18.99 Source: Booklist Online
Copyright: September 2015 Issue: October 2015
Age level: Grades 4-7 Summarized review: Apollo 11 astronaut
Number of pages: 96 Aldrin welcomes young people to his crew for
Summary: Astronaut Aldrin welcomes a journey to build the first city on Mars,
students to join his crew and build humanitys while related passages fill in information
first Martian city. Includes activities, photos, about the planet and the challenges of
and in-depth text. colonizing it. A number of hands-on
Selection rationale: this book will replace activities are included, with small-print
woefully out of date space exploration directions and modest photos as illustrations.
material in the collection. Mars and Pluto
have been very popular areas of interest for
students with recent NASA missions, and
curiosity is high in this area, with both boys
and girls. Fifth grade covers astronomy and
planets in Science class, and this will be a
good book for students pursuing additional
information.
may observe from the graph below, our 600s collection comprises a meager 4% of the total
collection. After observing students and speaking to our previous librarian, I know that students
frequently request additional materials on this topic, and overall circulation statistics would
improve if additional materials are made available for students.
Drawing 4% of total circulation and over 10% of nonfiction circulation, the 900s are also
popular with students and faculty. As mentioned previously, faculty currently borrow books on
an honor system, so faculty use is wholly unrecorded at this time. Similarly, in-library use also
goes unrecorded under our current software system. This means that students are investigating
the Dewey 900 section of Geography and History of their own volition, whether for personal
interest or to augment curricular assignments.
Solution
Focusing on Easy picture books and Dewey 600s and 900s, we will improve the
collection in a measurable way: circulation will increase as student interest is matched, and
classroom teachers will see added support for curricular projects. According to School Library
Journals Average Book Price report for 2015, childrens hardcover titles average $19.32 per
title. While this cost will exceed the librarys budget, the cost of providing outdated material to
students and faculty seems too much to risk.
Based on my assessment of our current collection, I recommend purchasing 750 new
books, focusing primarily on the 600s and Easy picture books. The total cost for this endeavor
will come to approximately $14,490.00, based on the estimate of $19.32 per book.
This addition will bring our Easy picture books to approximately 25% of our current
collection, and will bring the 600s to approximately 9%. By increasing these two areas by 5%
each, we will support high student interest and curricular goals for our faculty. By weeding and
adding moderately to the 900s, we will fill holes in the collection and support our facultys
material needs for history and geography.
Action
1. Weed and add many new titles to the 600s section, aiming to add a minimum of 5% or
275 total new titles while also replacing weeded titles. Parents and teachers have
commented that adding pet-specific books of a higher caliber and reading level would
benefit their students, since many students conduct personal research in this section.
Weed: approximately 100 titles Add: net 275 Total: 275 new titles
2. Add new Easy picture books, weeding as necessary for shelf wear. Again, aiming for
approximately 5% overall growth, or a net gain of approximately 275 new titles after
weeding.
Weed: approximately 150 titles Add: net 275 Total: 325 new titles
3. Weed and update the 900s; this section is used to support curriculum for several grade
levels, and many materials are older and unappealing. Classroom use of materials
borrowed by teachers is currently unreported, but would drastically increase the
circulation statistics for this area. According to teachers, additional material for ancient
civilizations would benefit student research projects in the first and second grades
especially.
Weed: approximately 75 titles Add: net 75 Total: 150 new titles
New Titles
600s
900s
Easy
I hope you will consider requesting this additional funding from the Gerstell Academy
Parents Association (GAPA). Once our collection is fully updated, maintenance like this will be
ongoing and will fall within the librarys yearly budget
Works Cited
Bobart, Anna Marie. Interview with the author November 2015.
Children's Notable Lists. ALSC Children's Notable Lists. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12. National Science Teachers
Association. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
Steelman, Patricia, comp. Select Bibliography of Childrens Books about the Disability
Experience. Schneider Family Book Award (2015). Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
Works Cited 19