Reflective Practice
When considering the nature of a school library collection I first connected with the interpretation given by the NSW Department of Education (2015, p. 2) of collection development and collection management (Parker, 2020a). With no attempt to separate the two terms I reasoned that both development and management were part of a holistic process sharing equal importance and interconnectedness in providing a relevant, physical and digital collection to meet the needs of the school community (Parker, 2020, 14 March, Forum 1). However, I began to engage with further discussions which highlighted distinctions between these two terms. Collection development, described as the process or mechanics of building a collection differed to the overarching concept of collection management where focus is directed to budgets, legalities and resource preservation (Johnson, 2018, p. 1; Corrall, 2018, p. 5; Evans & Saponaro, 2012, p. 22). Embracing these constructs allowed me to better understand the practice and purpose of collection development organisation in order to meet the needs of its users (Johnson, 2018, p. 1). Further, I was interested by Houston’s comment (2020, 22 March, Forum 1) that constant adjustments are required in a library collection to align with curriculum changes, technology and student needs. The question now was how best to identify these changes and make the necessary adjustments. This encouraged me to conclude that a vital part of engaging with the collection involves planning, evidenced in the consideration of user needs, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the collection, the selection of resources using criteria and selection aids, designing a budget for future acquisitions or the evaluation and maintenance of the collection (ALIA & VCTL, 2017, p. 8).
The Collection Development Policy serves as a framework for this essential planning (Deepa, 2017) that is to be revised and reviewed as part of an ongoing and dynamic collection development and management process (Johnson, 2018, p. 85). It was interesting to note that this document, described as one of the most significant and essential policies in the library (Braxton, 2018; ALIA & VCTL, 12017, p. 8) proved in forum discussions to have an inconsistent presence across many school libraries. Understanding that the CDP performs the vital roles of informing and protecting (Johnson, 2018, p. 86) caused me to question how school libraries without a CDP are able to justify and make effective adjustments. Containing a library mission, current collection status and identified priorities and future goals allows achievement to be measured and creates a framework to guide and inform decisions relevant to the ongoing management of the collection (Johnson, 2018, p. 86). The CDP provides transparency of direction and purpose to the audience (Parker, 2020, May 20, Forum 6.1) as a clear recording of the library’s commitment in a formal public document. Informing through budget preparation and allocation provides accountability and improves the library’s ability to compete for funding considerations (Johnson, 2018, p. 86; Burns, 2020, May 12, Forum 6.1), the CDP becomes a marketing tool to raise the profile of the library (Johnson, 2018, p. 87). The forum discussions exposed a disconnect between library matters and classroom teaching “Like many others here, my school does not have a CDP.” (Junor, 2020, May 21, Forum 6.1). Collaborative planning is essential in creating a school specific and meaningful policy that includes current cooperative programs, promoting relevance and connection to the school. This also challenges the notion that the CDP should have and speak to numerous audiences, library staff, staff, students and the wider community (including other libraries) (Johnson, 2018, p. 88). The CDP plays an essential role in protecting the library against external pressures (Johnson, 2018, p. 87). Mclean (2020, May 1, Forum 7.1) debates procedures for handling challenged materials and the rights of freedom to read which along with the prevention of censorship help to strengthen the library’s position and prevents accusations of inconsistencies and bias. This highlights the necessity to present a clear and authoritative policy outlining all operating principles to ensure all actions are protected and justified.
Whilst deliberating the structure and role of the CDP I began to consider the nature of digital resources and their inclusion and impact on the collection, collection development and management (Parker, 2020b). It has been argued that digital resources should be acquired and managed according to their own specific policies (Kennedy, 2005, p. 242) due to identified differences in funding, licensing, access and longevity considerations. The process of capturing digital resources usage patterns/data during collection analysis (Parker, 2020c) is just one example of the challenges digital resources present if applying a standard process across the collection. Mitchell (2016) advocates for the updating of CDPs to reflect the changes in digital collections, a format neutral CDP has been suggested to house both print and digital resources (Feighan, 2015, p. 7). Whilst accommodations are being considered for differing learning and teaching styles and the evolving curriculum, I wonder if technology poses a greater, more contentious challenge to collection management in school libraries.
Results from the 2019 Softlink Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific School Library Survey Reports showed top emerging trends to be increased technology integration (63%) and digitisation of resources (59%) (p. 18). Despite this ebooks/multimedia and subscription databases only represented a small percentage of the overall school library collection (p.19). It appears that whilst technology trends are recognised, in reality school library collections are not being flooded with digital resources. Newsum (2016, p.101) argues that research demonstrates “collecting and promoting digital resources and technologies is not widespread practice” in school libraries. No doubt funding, training and access concerns play a part, but is it that a true hybrid school library collection is indicative of the changing face of the user community (Parker, 2020d)? In order to embrace the constantly evolving educational environment, technologies, learners and content, I would argue that the way and pace at which collections will continue to evolve depends very much on how libraries themselves are able to adapt to the advances in a rapidly changing digital environment. School libraries should not isolate themselves, rather connect to wider collaborative networks (Oberg & Schultz-Jones, 2015, p. 35) in order to share cataloguing systems, leading to efficiency and quality of resource selection. It is essential to recognise the power of a well-articulated and inclusive CDP to support future school collections. Reflecting on these discussions and noting the effect of the COVID19 pandemic on increased demand for online learning tools, I am not only more aware of the concerns regarding introducing and managing eresources in the library but I realise that I need to carefully consider how to best frame our school library CDP, is an eCollection Development Policy the next step?
References
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