Collection management has been defined as a cyclical process of acquiring materials for a library based on needs analyses, along with stock-taking and reviewing the collection (Oddone, 2019). The cyclical version differs from the cultural collection management process of “a process of information gathering, communication, coordination, policy formulation, evaluation, and planning” (Johnson, 2009). Arguably this process is a dynamic one as Gregory (2019) claims that e-books, self-publishing, Web 2.0 and globalisation will continue to impact library collections and their policies concerning collection management, and along with that, the new and developing abilities of AI and Chat GPT. According to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), collection management focusses on the creation of policies or themes to stringently guide procedures (Acquisition and Collection Development Section – IFLA, n.d.). All definitions define the activity of collection management as needing a qualified librarian or information professional who is specialised in improving the library’s collection in lines with the growth and direction of that library using various selection techniques such as citation analysis. This is where access is sought to materials most frequently used in the citations of bibliographies, indexes. 

Looking at the practice of librarianship in the last decades, there has been a shift to people-centred library collections where the stimuli of acquisitions is based on accurate analyses of the needs of the users. 

References 

Acquisition and Collection Development Section – IFLA. (n.d.). https://www.ifla.org/units/acquisition-collection-development/  

Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library collections: An Introduction, Second Edition. American Library Association. 

Johnson, Peggy (2009). “1: Introduction to Collection Management and Development”. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (2 ed.). Chicago, IL: The American Library Association.  

LaBonte, K. B. (2005). Citation analysis: a method for collection development for a rapidly developing field. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. http://www.istl.org/05-summer/refereed.html 

Oddone, K. (2019). School library collection development: it’s not as simple as you thinking. Linking Learning. https://www.linkinglearning.com.au/school-library-collection-development-its-not-as-simple-as-you-might-think/