Schools need to develop policies that reflect the values of the school and communicate the stance that the school takes on a particular topic or area. They often come into play on a day-to-day basis, and therefore it is really important that they are kept up to date so that they remain relevant to the community that they apply to. Where policy does not exist, it creates issues into the future as to how to deal with certain issues. For instance, in the context of a collection development policy in the library, if the policy were only to “exist in the head of the incumbent teacher librarian and when that person is gone/absent so is the knowledge” (Module 6.1). A collection development policy (CDP) provides teacher librarians with a working document that allows them to manage the collection in accordance with the underpinning principals of being open, accountable and ethical in their decision-making relating to the library collection. It is important to be able to be transparent, and to make conscious and systematic decisions that can be backed by the CDP so that questioning by stakeholders in relation to censorship, money and other issues can be answered and supported by documentation.
Being able to manage the collection effectively and efficiently ensures the community that the library serves is provided with resources that are relevant, engaging and suitable. It is crucial that the collection is managed with the support of CDP documentation to ensure effective conduct.