A library collection is never static. It grows, it changes, it evolves. A library collection should reflect the needs of its users (Evans & Saponaro, 2012), and support the teaching and learning of the curriculum (New South Wales Department of Education, 2019; Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association). In a school library setting, where there is a constant incoming and outgoing of new and graduating students as well as different teaching and learning styles this is particularly pertinent. The users’ needs are likely to be ever-so different from one cohort to the next. Add to this, issues around potential national and state educational policy changes as well as curriculum and syllabus updates, not to mention specific course and subject revisions, introductions of new and different texts for study etc. and it becomes quite clear that a library collection is in a constant state of flux. New resources are added, old resources are discarded all the time. However, there is a little more to it than that. Maintaining a library collection involves careful consideration not only about what goes into the collection (collection development), but also the ongoing decisions associated with what to do with it once it is added (collection management).
There are some distinctions to be made regarding collection development and collection management.
Collection development refers to deciding what goes into a collection and can involve:
- Identification
- Selection
- Acquisition
- Evaluation
- Deselection
(O’Connell et al., 2022)
Collection management focuses on the managerial aspects of maintaining a collection. This encompasses collection development but goes on to include other areas such as:
- Storage
- Preservation
- Organisation and staffing
(Johnson, 2009)
- Budget management
- Technological management
- Collection accessibility
(Van Zijl, 2005)
So, basically, collection development is “associated with the selection and/or acquisition of library materials…while collection management is generally seen as a broader term covering the whole range of activities involved in managing access to information resources” (Corrall, 2018).
Why is this important? Well, it goes back to the purpose of the collection in a school library. The purpose is to provide a collection of resources that cater to the specific needs of the library users. In the case of school libraries this relates to the ethos of the school, and importantly, to the teaching programs and educational policies adhered to by the school. To ensure the school library collection is meeting these needs and that the collection is developed and managed accordingly, a collection policy document needs to be prepared. This document will outline the collection development and management policies and procedures and provide a contextual and conceptual structure that is required for meaningful collection development/management to take place.
References
Australian Library and Information Association., & Australian School Library Association. (2016). ALIA/ASLA policy on school library resource provision. ALIA Policies, standards and guidelines. https://asla.org.au/resources/Documents/Website%20Documents/Policies/policy_School_Library_Resource_Provision.pdf
Corrall, S. (2018). The concept of collection development in the digital world. In M. Fieldhouse & A. Marshall (Eds.), Collection development in the digital age (pp.3-24). Facet. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326215985_Collection_Development_in_the_Digital_Age
Evans, G. E., & Saponaro, M. Z. (2012). Collection management basics (6th ed.). Libraries Unlimited, An Imprint Of Abc-Clio, Llc.
Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of collection development and management. (2nd ed). American Library Association.
New South Wales Department of Education. (2019, October 2). Library. Education.nsw.gov.au. http://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2005-0221
O’Connell, J., Fitzgerald, L., & Mitchell, P. (2022). The school library collection [Learning module]. ETL503: Resourcing the curriculum. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_59966_1&content_id=_4906004_1&mode=view
Van Zijl, C.W. (2005). Developing and managing information collections for academics and researchers at a university of technology : a case study. Pretoria: University of South Africa. http://uir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/1363
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