The NSW Department of Education’s Library Policy – Schools (2020) does not look as extensive as the Queensland Department of Education policy (2012) which has been referred to in Module 1, and thus does not specifically define collection management, although it does state that Librarians are responsible for:
- selection and culling
- ordering and acquisitions
- cataloguing and classification
- processing materials
- circulation
- stock control (NSW Department of Education, 2020).
The policy does refer to resourcing the curriculum, and most notably refers to the need for Librarians to be ‘involved in the provision of the information-related resources integral to the planning, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum of the school’. However, it strongly outlines the need for this process to be collaborative, and how the Teacher Librarian should work collegially with classroom teachers in order to support teaching and learning across curriculum areas.
Personally, I would like to see this collaborative approach also extended to collection management. I know at our school, we actively encourage students to be involved in decision making regarding the collection of their Library, and I would like to also see parents and wider community networks ( such as the local AECG – Aboriginal Education Consultative Group) consulted to ensure the collection represents and reflects the needs of the community.
The NSW DoE has another document which I looked to for guidance: The Handbook for School Libraries. Within that, I was found the following guidelines for collection development:
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Involvement in selecting, acquiring and organising contemporary materials to support the school’s curriculum.
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Selecting, developing, organising and managing information sources, services and appropriate technology to meet the educational, cultural, recreational and professional needs of the school community.
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Identifying the information needs of the school community.
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Formulating selection and acquisition policies which ensure that resources are relevant to quality teaching and learning programs (NSW DoE, 2017).