"Library collection development is the process of systematically building the collection of a particular library to meet the information needs of the library users..."
Policies that govern the development of a library or museum collection.
Purpose and Goals of a Collection Development Policy: This topic covers the reasons why a library or museum should have a collection development policy and its primary objectives.
Collection Assessment: This topic involves the methods and techniques for evaluating the current state of a library or museum's collections and identifying any gaps or areas that need improvement.
Selection Criteria: This topic covers the principles and guidelines used to determine which items to add or remove from the library or museum's collections based on their quality, relevance, and significance to the institution's mission and goals.
Acquisitions and donations: This topic covers the process of acquiring new materials and how to assess and manage donations to ensure that they align with the collection development policy.
Access and Preservation: This topic covers the strategies and practices involved in making collections accessible to users while also preserving the materials for future use.
Intellectual Freedom and Censorship: This topic covers the role of librarians and their responsibility to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom, including the selection of diverse and controversial materials and dealing with requests for censorship.
Collection Management: This topic covers the ongoing maintenance and development of a library or museum's collections through weeding, replacement, and cooperative collection development.
Budgeting and Funding: This topic covers the financial planning and support for collection development, including the allocation of budgets and the search for external funding sources.
Staffing and Training: This topic covers the selection, training, and development of staff responsible for collection development, including their roles, responsibilities, and professional development opportunities.
User Needs and Expectations: This topic covers the importance of understanding the needs and expectations of the library or museum's users and how this impacts collection development policies and practices.
General Collection Development Policy: This type of policy outlines the library/museum's mission statement, selection criteria, and procedures for acquiring, maintaining, and weeding materials.
Collection Specific Policy: This type of policy focuses on acquiring and maintaining a specific collection within the library/museum, such as rare books, manuscripts, or art.
Format Collection Development Policy: This type of policy outlines how the library/museum acquires and maintains different formats of materials, such as print, electronic, or audiovisual.
Intellectual Freedom/ Censorship Policy: This type of policy describes the principles of intellectual freedom and the library/museum's stance on censorship.
Access Policy: This type of policy outlines the library/museum's access policies regarding digital and physical materials, including access for patrons with disabilities.
Preservation Policy: This type of policy outlines the preservation plan for physical materials in the library/museum's collection and procedures for digitization.
Collection Sharing Policy: This type of policy outlines procedures for sharing materials between libraries/museums or with other institutions to support resource-sharing initiatives.
Gifts and Donations Policy: This type of policy outlines procedures for accepting and declining donations and gifts, including considerations of ethics and the collection's suitability.
Approval Plan Policy: This type of policy outlines procedures for acquiring materials through an automated approval plan, where vendors pre-select and ship items based on specified criteria.
Collection Evaluation Policy: This type of policy outlines the procedures for regularly assessing and evaluating the collection to ensure its relevance to the library/museum's mission.
"...to meet the information needs of the library users (a service population) in a timely and economical manner..."
"According to the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)..."
"...methodological and topical themes pertaining to acquisition of print and other analogue library materials..." and "...the licensing and purchase of electronic information resources."
"Collection development involves activities that need a librarian or information professional who is specialized in improving the library's collection."
"The process includes the selection of information materials that respond to the users or patrons need..."
"...as well as de-selection of unwanted information materials, called weeding."
"It also involves the planning strategies for continuing acquisition..."
"...evaluation of new information materials and the existing collection..."
"...in order to determine how well a particular library serves its users."
"...using information resources locally held as well as resources from other organizations."
"...by purchase, exchange, gift, legal deposit..."
"A librarian or information professional who is specialized in improving the library's collection."
"...de-selection of unwanted information materials, called weeding."
"...to meet the information needs of the library users..."
"...the licensing and purchase of electronic information resources."
"...selection of information materials that respond to the users or patrons need..."
"...de-selection of unwanted information materials, called weeding."
"...planning strategies for continuing acquisition..."
"...determine how well a particular library serves its users."