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I have found it a really interesting process to create selection criteria to support collection development related to my specific school context. I believe that Hughes-Hassell and Mancall’s (2005) criteria is excellent because it calls on the teacher librarian to address the individual and often complex needs of their learners. I would favour this approach within a school context rather than more general selection criteria, for while it might be a longer selection process with more criteria to consider, it helps to ensure that the collection is meeting these complex learner needs.
When considering my own context, while the Hughes-Hassell and Mancall (2005) criteria do form a strong foundation, I did find I needed to incorporate other selection criteria. Firstly, as we are a BYOD school, we have a large selection of digital resources, I felt that there needed to be added descriptors for this. I did not change the majority of the key selection criteria, because they a relevant to any resource, regardless of the format. However, I added more framing questions to support digital evaluation. For example, when considering the accuracy criteria, I added to consider if the web-based content was clearly factual or fictional, considering the proliferation of inaccurate information on the web. I shifted the criteria from Arrangement and Organisation to User friendly/organisation. I found the term user friendly in the Australian Library and Information Association Schools & Victorian Catholic Teacher Librarians (2017) manual and I felt that digital resources were more about the user experience than arrangement. This descriptor could also incorporate aspects such as the accessibility of video content.
When I considered my school context, I changed the ranking of a few criteria. In Hughes-Hassell and Mancall’s (2005) original criteria, those related to presentation of the resource or aesthetic quality were considered extra considerations, rather than being a key part of resource evaluation. In my library, I have noticed students are strongly motivated by aesthetics and the visual appearance of texts. I have many reluctant readers with low literacy levels and I find they initially gravitate to books based on appearance. I have, in the past, selected a book with great content, but due to the cover, it sits unused on the shelf. So, took the lead from other selection criteria I read and added it to the main list. Further considering my school context, I work in a religious school, so I added a criterion around sensitivity to an Islamic ethos as this is a key part of the mission, vision and values of my school.
I am interested to see if the criteria shift as I practically use them, or if my initially thoughts hold true. I truly see the value in the application of such criteria to find ‘best fit’ resources for my individual context as I strive to create a balanced collection.
References
Australian Library and Information Association Schools & Victorian Catholic Teacher Librarians. (2017). A manual for developing policies and procedures in Australian school library resource centres. Australian Library and Information Association. https://read.alia.org.au/manual-developing-policies-and-procedures-australian-school-library-resource-centres-2nd-edition-0
Hughes-Hassell, S., & Mancall, J. C. (2005). Collection management for youth: Responding to the needs of learners. ALA Editions.