Bundling allows the purchasing of resources where school libraries are provided with a packaged range of resources, for a set fee, that adds to the library collection on a regular basis. The package can be presented as a more cost-effective means of obtaining resources, as the costs are often presented with a ‘value’ margin or ‘deal’. This ‘deal’ is then charged on a regular basis, with the resources also delivered on a regular basis. There are clear benefits of obtaining resources through bundled sets, but also disadvantages.

As a school that subscribes to online databases, they fulfil the research needs of our students and provide access to a range of quality databases. Within this subscription we also subscribe to journals that we receive as packages. Whilst this provides students with excellent access to subject specific collections, my concern is that should we ever cancel this digital subscription, we would no longer have access to these journals, or past editions of this collection.

With bundle sets for physical collections, ie standing orders, there can also be some disadvantages. Resources are selected on behalf of the customer, and sent to the school for their approval. Our school used to subscribe to Lamont books, but to be honest, the book bundles would arrive, and then it would be a time consuming exercise to peruse the books and then select/deselect desired texts. There would often be a range of books not suitable to our readers, or would simply not meet the interest needs of our readers. We no longer subscribe to this service. Whilst resource development and acquisition is a timely process regardless, and teacher librarians (TL) are often time poor, reading through preselected books and then ‘bundling’ them up (excuse the pun!) to return to the supplier, is time consuming. Having greater autonomy over resource selection allows TLs to purchase the resources they deem meet the criteria of their learners.  I understand that some libraries may prefer to have these choices made for them because it adds to the collection with regular additions being made, can reduce costs and with resources constantly being updated/relevant, it can provide the TL with resources that may not have been previously considered and perhaps can be deemed as a time saver. I think that as TL however, having more say over the resources they desire, and being able to purchase resources that will be used, as opposed to some resources just sitting on the shelf collecting dust, means that the TL can purchase resources that are relevant to the school, its learners and curriculum.

Schools have an obligation to meet ALIA’s view that library collections meet our students and our staff (ALIA, 2016). TLs should have the power to evaluate and purchase preferred products, across a range of categories and not be locked into a bundle (Breeding, 2019). As TLs, we have an obligation to resource a curriculum based on the desires and needs of our learning community. Bundling may well work for some school libraries, but I think that TLs need to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of committing their budget to a bundles, or at the very least, have a balanced approach to resourcing their libraries.

References

ALIA (2016) Guidelines, standards and outcome measures for Australian public libraries. Retrieved from https://read.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/guidelines_standards_and_outcome_measures_for_australian_public_libraries.pdf

Breeding, M., (2019). Discovery Services. American Libraries. Jan/Feb2019, 50 (1/2), p71. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=dc4a076e-7901-44ba-aceb-c3fe854d74bd%40pdc-v-sessmgr05