Discuss new areas needing coverage in your collection development policy, in view of the digital content of your collection.
Like so many newbie teacher librarians, I have been unable to locate a formal written collection development or collection management policy. As such, I’ve felt more than a little lost this year as I’ve floundered my way through budgeting, selection, and acquisition of resources to support my school community and feel like I probably haven’t made the best choices.
When I started this unit last October I saw the School Library Collection Rubric (ALIA, 2017) and quickly reflected on where I thought our school library collection sat. The results were eye-opening: out of the 31 elements I felt confident to assess, I deemed 8 to be developing, 20 to be at foundation level, and only 3 to be effective. Clearly there is a lot of work to be done to bring our collection up to scratch!
I plan on using this rubric to set goals (some of which will even make it onto my PDP! What great evidence for accreditation maintenance!) and work towards improving our collection over the next year – though honestly, it will probably take much longer! As noted on my blog, I’ve already undertaken a stocktake and weeded many of our outdated, damaged, and irrelevant resources. It will be interesting to review my initial assessment at the end of the year with more qualitative and quantitative data.
One of the tasks I set myself this year was to at least create a selection criteria which would guide the acquisition of future resources. This draft has drawn on a number of samples and will hopefully guide the development of a more effective collection in future and allow staff to see the complex nature of what teacher librarians actually do.
| 1. | Criteria |
| Relevance to Curriculum and Recreational Needs, Interests and Abilities of Users | 1.1 Does the resource meet an existing or anticipated need? |
| 1.2 Will the resource be well-used by students, staff, parents, or other community members? | |
| 1.3 Is the cost justified in terms of the potential use and value to the collection? | |
| 1.4 Is the print comprehensible and formatted to suit the age level and reading abilities of the target audience? | |
| 1.5 Are the content and vocabulary appropriate for the target audience? | |
| 1.6 Is the resource suitable to the interest level of the intended users? | |
| 1.7 Is this resource high quality? | |
| 2. | Criteria |
| Currency of Content
|
2.1 Is the information current and up-to-date (especially regarding resources on topics such as science, technology, social issues, and geo-political content)? |
| 2.2 Is the information and presentation in keeping with current educational practice? | |
| 2.3 Are the tables, charts and other relevant data in the resource recent? | |
| 2.4 Are links to websites active and current? | |
| 3. | Criteria |
| Accuracy and Quality of Content
|
3.1 Is the content clearly factual or fictional? |
| 3.2 Are facts and opinions identified and presented impartially? | |
| 3.3 Is the content correct? | |
| 3.4 Is the content of literary merit? | |
| 4. | Criteria |
| Authority and Reliability of the Composer | 4.1 Is the author or creator qualified in the field? |
| 4.2 Is the publisher well-established/reputable in the field? | |
| 4.3 Has the author or creator produced other works in the same area? | |
| 5. | Criteria |
| Presentation of the Resource
|
5.1 Is the style appropriate for the subject and use? |
| 5.2 Do the illustrations extend the factual information? | |
| 5.3 Are the print, illustrations, multimedia, and sound of a high quality? | |
| 5.4 Is the resource physically attractive? | |
| 5.5 Is the resource durable and well-constructed? | |
| 6. | Criteria |
| Accessibility
|
6.1 Is the format accessible for users? |
| 6.2 Is the content easy to navigate? | |
| 6.3 Are ideas developed, organised, and presented clearly? | |
| 6.4 Does the resource have peritextual elements such as an index, author’s notes, table of contents, chapter summaries, glossaries, bibliography or menus to assist users to locate relevant information? | |
| 7. | Criteria |
| Respectful to All Peoples
|
7.1 Is the resource free of bias or prejudice? |
| 7.2 Does the resource present positive images of gender, disability, and cultural and ethnic groups? | |
| 7.3 Are the representations of people honest and accurate? | |
| 7.4 Is the resource free of stereotypical images and role definitions? | |
| For resources dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, consider the following additional criteria: | |
| 7.5 Is the resource accurate in its presentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues?
|
7.5.1 Authenticity – is the resource an authentic representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues? |
| 7.5.1.1 Is the material up-to-date? | |
| 7.5.1.2 Is the material accurate?
7.5.1.3 Does the material repudiate the concept of terra nullius? |
|
| 7.5.1.4 Does the material accurately represent Aboriginal resistance to European occupation of the land? | |
| 7.5.1.5 Does the material avoid overgeneralisations? | |
| 7.5.1.6 Is the number and diversity of both Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal languages and cultures represented? | |
| 7.5.1.7 Are illustrations and photographs positive and accurate portrayals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and relevant to the text? | |
| 7.5.1.8 Are photographs accompanied by captions which name the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or group in a culturally sensitive manner, and indicate where they come from? | |
| 7.5.2 Balanced nature of the presentation – is the representation of content balanced and representative of the diversity and complexity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures? | |
| 7.5.2.1 Is there a balanced representation of men and women in the material? | |
| 7.5.2.2 Does the material accurately represent women’s roles in First Nations societies? | |
| 7.5.2.3 Are stereotyping and racist connotations absent? | |
| 7.5.2.4 Does the resource include all readers by not assuming a European background? | |
| 7.5.2.5 Does the resource include Torres Strait Islander people? | |
| 7.5.2.6 Does the resource avoid over-representing the ‘exotic’ to the exclusion of other cultural aspects? | |
| 7.5.2.7 Does the resource acknowledge that First Nations practices continue to the present day? | |
| 7.5.3 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participation – has the resource been created by, or in consultation with, members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities? | |
| 7.5.3.1 Does the resource acknowledge Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participation in the research, writing, and presentation processes? | |
| 7.5.3.2 Is the author Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander? | |
| 7.5.4 Accuracy and support – does the resource accurately represent and support local First Nations groups? | |
| 7.5.4.1 Is the material about your local area or state? | |
| 7.5.4.2 Has the material been endorsed by local, regional, state, or territory Aboriginal education consultative groups? | |
| 7.5.4.3 Has the material been endorsed by other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander groups? | |
| 7.5.4.4 Is the material acceptable to the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities? | |
| 7.5.5 Exclusion of content of a secret or sacred nature – does the resource depict culturally sensitive materials? | |
| 7.5.5.1 Does the material avoid culturally insensitive references to information about secret and/or sacred items, practices, sites, and/or representations? | |
| 8. | Criteria |
| Criteria Specific to the School’s Context: Support for school and local community issues
|
8.1 Does the resource support the school as it works to implement the School Improvement Plan (SIP)? |
| 8.1.1 Strategic Direction 1: Student Growth and Attainment | |
| 8.1.2 Strategic Direction 2: Enhancing Learning Culture | |
| 8.1.3 Strategic Direction 3: Enhancing Wellbeing for Successful Learning | |
| 8.2 Does the resource support the socio-emotional needs of our current and emerging student populations? | |
| 8.3 Does the resource support the teaching needs of our current staff, such as a specific syllabus option or course? | |
| 8.4 Does the resource support specific school-based programs? | |
| 8.5 Does the resource support specific local community programs? | |
Bibliography and other useful resources for future reference:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library, Information and Resource Network (2012). Welcome to the ATSILIRN protocols for libraries, archives and information services. https://atsilirn.aiatsis.gov.au/protocols.php
Australian Library and Information Association. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in australian school library resource centres. (2nd ed.). ALIA Library. https://read.alia.org.au/manual-developing-policies-and-procedures-australian-school-library-resource-centres-2nd-edition
Braxton, B. (2021, October 1). Sample collection policy. 500 Hats. https://500hats.edublogs.org/policies/sample-collection-policy/
Debowski, S. (2001). Collection management policies. In K. Dillon, J. Henri & J. McGregor (eds.), Providing more with less: collection management for school libraries (2nd ed.). (pp.126-136). Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
Debowski, S. (2001). Collection program funding management. In K. Dillon, J. Henri & J. McGregor (eds.), Providing more with less: collection management for school libraries (2nd ed.). (pp.299-326). Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
Dillon, K. (2001). Maintaining collection viability. In K. Dillon, J. Henri & J. McGregor (eds.), Providing more with less: collection management for school libraries (2nd ed.). (pp.241-254). Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
Fieldhouse, M., & Marshall, A. (2012). Collection development in the digital age. Facet.
Fleishhacker, J. (2017). Collection development. Knowledge Quest, 45(4), 24–31.
Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library collections: an introduction. American Library Association.
Herring, J. (2007). Chapter 2: Teacher librarians and the school library. In S. Ferguson (Ed.) Libraries in the twenty-first century: charting new directions in information (pp.27-42). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
Hughes-Hassell, & S., Mancall, J. C. (2005). Collection management for youth: responding to the needs of learners. American Library Association.
Johnson, Peggy (2018). Fundamentals of collection development and management. ALA Editions.
Keeling, M. (2019). What’s new in collection development? Knowledge Quest 48(2), 4-5.
Kimmel, S. C. (2014). Developing collections to empower learners. American Library Association.
Librarians Portal (2013, October 24). Book selection principles. Librarians Portal: A Place For Library Professionals. https://newonlinelibrary.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-selection-principles.html
Queensland Studies Authority. (2007). Guidelines Indigenous perspectives: Selecting and evaluating resources. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/approach2/indigenous_g008_0712.pdf
South Australia Department of Education. (2020). Selecting and using resources for educational purposes guideline. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/doc/selecting-and-using-resources-educational-purposes-guideline