As TLs managing library collections, it is necessary that we consider resoruce acquisitions. Having reliable suppliers of quality resources is imperative to maintaining a current and relevant school library collection.
Quality suppliers for library resources include those who promote quality texts that are recognised by subject lists and literary awards. CBCA springs to mind! Similarly, suppliers that have helpful administrative staff are welcomed by school librarians.
Schools that have had previous author visits, book fairs and book performances are advantaged by being on mailing lists and can receive updates about new material on offer. Working in my part time role as TL, something I look for in suppliers is their sense of personalised communication. COVID-19 brought many challenges, one being many cancellations of author visits and book fairs. The organisers of these events are also suppliers of resources and frequently kept in touch throughout lockdown to promote new material as alternatives to the above mentioned events. One thing I really enjoyed throughout this process, was having the benefit of communication with one person. They took the time and effort to get to know our school’s needs and thus were able to forward relevant catalogues, book lists, etc.
The option to select book packs and thus cut down on costs, can equally be helpful and a hindrance. The ability to select individual titles for a collection of books would be the best case scenario, however this is not always possible. I know Scholastics Australia provide packs for end of year awards. My school give book prizes as end of year awards but find these book packs limiting as we prefer only hard cover books. It is difficult to chase up the explicit content of these packs. I have recently come across The Book Grocer and it seems to provide options for book collections/ packs based on age groups and genres. I haven’t had any experience with this supplier, the reviews seem positive, although I am aware these reviews can be biased.
A challenge for regional and remote schools would be access to physical suppliers. In this instance, developing a relationship with local book stores and libraries that provide specialised loans for schools would prove beneficial to facilitaing the needs of the school. As always budget will influence any collection, be it physical or digital. When the school community values reading, quality books can be added to the school library collection through book donations and fundraising opportunities. Further, collaboration with nearby regional schools can perhaps provide opportunities for sharing quality resources within library collections for specific learning opportunities.