Johnson - Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management

Haley Tallent

Citation:

Johnson, P. (2014). Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management. American Library Association.

            Summary:

This book provides researched information into the art of Collection Development. The book covers a wide variety of topics including: Selection Theory, Departmental Issues, Ethics, Planning Methods, Policy Statements, Marketing, Analysis, and Cooperative Development. It also provides an appendix of selection aids, resources, and sample development polices.

            Analysis:

I found this book to be an excellent match of history, theory, and execution. The author does not just tell you what to do but why you should do it and how the methods were developed. The case studies were a great treat as they gave real examples of challenges she talks about. The section on Cooperative Collection Development was unique among the books I have read and thus very interesting. The book does weigh to heavily on some topics, (ex. marketing,) while not giving others enough space (ex. diverse communities). Overall this book is excellent and delves more into nitty gritty things unlike some step by step beginner guides.