Collection Policy and the Library of Congress

       During our last workshop, we explored library policy. This post examines areas of policy within the Library of Congress. By exploring elements used and not used by our National model of libraries we can assess how other libraries adapt policies, and if they align with Library of Congress Practices. They provide the policy framework to support the Library's responsibilities to serve the Congress as well as the United States Government as a whole, the scholarly community, and the general public (LOC, 2008). The collection policy begins by defining who the policy serves. Second, the LOC explains what the collection policy does, “They set forth the scope, level of collecting intensity and goals sought by the Library to fulfill its service mission” (LOC, 2008). While these points are simple, they are strategically important in order to make decisions about collection developments.  Fundamental principal of the collection include:

• The Library should possess all books and other materials (whether in original form or copy) which record the life and achievement of the American people; and
• The Library should possess in some useful form, the records of other societies, past and present, and should accumulate, in original or in copy, full and representative collections of the written records of those societies and peoples whose experience is of most immediate concern to the people of the United States.

This principals continue and a framing of the design begins is easily understood by both librarians, government officials, and the general population. LOC policies continue and branch off to different subjects. Picking a subject at random, the LOC maintains a sense of their frameworks when examining earth sciences. The Library is committed to collecting all subject areas in earth sciences primarily at the research level regardless of formats in order to serve the needs of the Congress, scholars, and the general public, and to carry out the Library’s archival responsibility to collect and preserve historical materials for tomorrow’s researchers (LOC, 2008). The model of policy frameworks for the LOC collection is a great reference for librarians to use when defining their own library policy. 

References:

Library of Congress, November 2008

http://www.loc.gov/acq/devpol/earth.pdf

http://www.loc.gov/acq/devpol/cps.html