Johnson book summary - 1st installment

·   Hi All,  

    Here are my notes on the first 2 chapters of the Peggy Johnson book (Fundamentals of collection development and management). I didn't have time on Thursday to check the book out of the library, so I've been working off the electronic version on Google Books. I'll add more notes on the later chapters once I lay my hands on the hardcopy version. The book is fairly detailed, so I'll probably have to post the rest of the notes in installments. The first couple of chapters deal with basic definitions, a history of collections development, and some stuff on organizational models and staffing requirements. I've only included a summary of the basic definitions and a list of the basic duties of a collections management librarian. The other material didn't seem very relevant. In any case, the notes below should be handy for fixing basic concepts and terminology.

    Cheers,

    Peter

 

      (P. 1) Collection development is the thoughtful process of developing a library collection in response to institutional priorities or the needs and interests of users. It covers:

a)      Selection of materials

b)      The determination and coordination of selection policy

c)       Assessment of the needs and potential needs of users

d)      Collection use studies

e)      Collection analysis

f)       Budget management

g)      Community and user outreach and liaison

h)      Planning for resource sharing

·         (p. 1) Collection management is an umbrella term introduced in the 1980’s that covers collection development but also includes:

a)      Weeding

b)      Cancelling serials

c)       Storage

d)      Preservation

·         Good practitioner quote on p. 2 that sums up the concept of collection management.

·         (p. 2) Those who practice collection management are variously called:

a)      Selectors

b)      Bibliographers

c)       Collections librarians

d)      Collection managers

e)      Collection developers

·         The practices listed above are universal and apply in any library context.

·         (p. 33) Collection management librarians usually have the following responsibilities:

            Selection

1)      Choosing current materials in one or more formats for acquisition

2)      Selecting access methods for digital resources

3)      Deciding upon retrospective materials for acquisition and access

4)      Evaluating free web-based resources for possible inclusion in a library’s catalogue or portal

5)      Selecting material to withdraw, store, preserve, digitize and cancel

6)      Identifying materials for inclusion in a digital depository

Budgeting

1)      Requesting and justifying budget allocations

2)      Expending and managing allocated funds

3)      Working with donors and potential donors of in-kind and cash gifts

4)      Writing grant proposals and managing grants

Planning and organization

1)      Coordinating collection development and management activities with others within the library

2)      Monitoring and reviewing approval plans

3)      Monitoring and reviewing exchange agreements

4)      Evaluating and assessing collections and related services

5)      Fostering cooperative collection development

6)      Writing and revising collection development policies

Communicating and reporting

1)      Serving on internal and external committees that deal with collection issues

2)      Keeping administrators and stakeholders informed about library challenges and accomplishments.

3)      Promoting, marketing and interpreting collections and resources

4)      Performing liaison and outreach activities in the user community

5)      Connecting with other libraries and librarians

6)      Advising readers (often called reader’s advisory service) and giving book talks