Additional Reading: Link to Resources on Collection Development

Additional Reading: Link to Resources on Collection Development

Here goes my additional reading list. I tried to find materials that had links to additional resources and possible credible sources for collection development.

If you are interested in a good collection policy template, check this one out created by

School Library Media Services: Policy and Procedures Template.

Enjoy,
Ronnie 

'Zines in Library Archival Spaces

Hays, A. (2018). Zine authors’ attitudes about inclusion in public and academic library collections: A survey-based study. Library Quarterly, 88(1), 60–78. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1086/694869

Zines are powerful cultural artifacts that have long histories in uprisings, counter culture movements, underground scenes, and other such revolutionary circles. It’s fascinating to see academic discourse on this subject because it seems so antithetical, yet par for the course. That the tools of anti-establishment come full circle to be products of study in said settings, to be digested by establishment academics and stored for their posterity. Ironically, those zines, which were to be disseminated for a crowd that often did not have access to academic spaces will now not be able to access those same documents, either because they do not know about the zines, or because they don’t have access via enrollment or funds. It’s actually quite disturbing to think about.

In regard to zines as cultural products for underrepresented and minority identities, one must always consider the impact of archiving the zine, its benefit to the communities it was meant to serve, and the motivations which compel the institution to archive them. One such example is QZAP: “Specialized zine collections outside traditional institutions such as the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) and the POC Zine Project aim to fill the gaps in mainstream zine collections by collecting, respectively, queer zines and zines by people of color. Doing so is in keeping with ALA’s (2004) “Core Values”: “We value our nation’s diversity and strive to reflect that diversity by providing a full spectrum of resources and services to the communities we serve.” Zine collections help fulfill that mission.” 

Additionally, privacy concerns are of paramount importance in the 21st century and the age of information. An ethical quandary presents itself: If the authors of zines wanted them available digitally, they would have made them available in that format. At what point does one transgress and usurp the author’s intention in the name of “preservation”. What if that media was not meant to be “preserved”? These decisions have implications that can have devastating outcomes for zine authors, especially when it comes to zines on controversial topics (that shouldn't be controversial), such as the bodily rights of pregnant people, gender and sexual equality, and race.

However, despite my concerns, many of these zine creators who would have to contend with the repercussions that can come from personally identifiable information being put on the internet are okay with having their zines cataloged and made available digitally. I would not have expected that outcome, mostly because I would not want that for myself. If I presented sensitive info in a limited forum (that’s what I’m considering a zine), and it made its way to the internet, especially if I made these statement long before the mainstream internet was a thing, I’d be wildly uncomfortable. But hey, that’s just me.

I Want it All. And I Want it Now.

Geist, Karen

Brasile, F. (2019). I Want it All. And I Want it Now. The Washington Library
Association Journal,35(1), March, 5-7.

The article I Want it All. And I Want it Now describes how today's collections reflect a different reality.

Library collections have changed over time as new formats emerge and old formats retired. Instead of one
format replacing another, formats now coexist. We have print books, LT books, books on CD, e-books
or e-audio books. Patrons want it all. They have more options than ever to consume content. The formats are more flexible than ever allowing patrons to interact with materials on the road, in the office, or atop a mountain. Digital media circulation has grown substantially while print circulation has decreased.  This is great for the patron but presents significant challenges to many libraries. “Determining how to allocate the library materials budget has become increasingly complex in recent years,” says Helen Gutierrez Collection Services Manager with SPL. Print books have a set cost, digital item pricing is inflated often 3x that of the retail price. Digital collections vary in terms of access- perpetual or metered.  Seeking funds beyond the materials budget also had its limitations. Libraries can select fewer copies of items or eliminate certain formats. All may accomplish the goal of reducing costs but will that negatively impact patron and decrease customer satisfaction? Libraries are trying to work with vendors to develop better tools to aid in managing digital collections and demand. OverDrive is working with libraries by the addition of “Always Available” content.  OverDrive added a collection of travel books that patrons can check out anytime, as many times as they like. They also added fifty of the most popular audiobooks to provide unlimited access. The challenge is going to be how to provide our patrons with well-rounded, current collections with limited funds.

This article surprised me on a few levels.  I did not realize the actual cost of digital items and never
realized the challenges faced by any Collection Management staff.   I naively thought that you buy a
digital item and it is yours, like a book. There are so many options with various costs. Print books
are on the decline while digital items are in demand but I think that everything will level off.  I think
standardized options for digital items are on the horizon. How can it continue this way? I think more
vendors will brainstorm ideas to make working together with libraries easier and more cost effective.

Reading and The Power of Time

This article discusses some mind blowing statistics regarding struggling readers
and reading growth. The universal item of interest is practice. With the right amount
of practice, reading scores and reading comprehension can increase significantly.
The one thing that I enjoyed reading was the statistic on third graders; struggling third
grade readers who practiced reading for just six minutes more a day read about
100,000 more words and increased reading comprehension by 11% when compared
to their struggling counterparts who did not read the extra six minutes. If this accounts
for third graders, what can this say for future grades all the way the through high school
graduation? Interest in reading could increase, learning to read and reading to learn can
instill subject mastery, and many others. In addition, if students were to read 15 minutes
per day, they can see advanced reading gains when compared to students who read less
(saw below average reading gains), but students who read thirty to sixty minutes per day
make the largest gains. The lesson to be taught is that time is valuable! Even if you can
only get a kid to pick a book for an extra 5 minutes, it may be the start to a magical reading
journey full of learning, enjoyment,and life-changing moments.

Please check out this article because;

1. It has mind blowing statistics based on research from over 9 million students.
2. Breaks down the potential gains when reading in timed minute increments
3. The idea that it doesn’t take much extra time to start the reading process.
4. Reading comprehension is necessary for success and the statistics could hel

jumpstart this journey to lifelong learning.

Kerns, G.M. & Bryan, J. (2018. 10 staggering statistics about struggling readers and reading growth.
Retrieved from
https://schoolleadersnow.weareteachers.com/staggering-statistics-about-struggling-readers-and-reading-growth/

School Library Research From Around the World

Brenna Smith

Gavigan, K. (2018). School library research from around the world: Where it's been and where it's headed. Knowledge Quest, 46(5), 32-39.

Summary: In this article, repeated keywords from issues of School Libraries Worldwide from 2010 to 2016 are studied. The recurring topics are advocacy, collaboration, impact studies, reading and reading promotion, and technology. They found that staff who advocate for the library are recognized as being leaders and indispensable members of the school community. In 2011, Ewbank published a study where half of 381 school librarians around the U.S. did not engage in advocacy activities due to lack of time and awareness. They found that collaboration between librarians and teachers help development of programs, improve instructional planning, and decreases plagiarism. Canadian-based study in 2011 found that school libraries that were more accessible, better funded, professionally staffed, and had more resources resulted in higher standardized test scores. Findings in several studies show that partnerships between school libraries and public libraries helped develop students’ reading skills. It was also discussed that school librarians need to develop and use their technology skills to become technology leaders. Two important factors to becoming school technology leaders is having support from principals and being proactive about how librarians approach their technology role. Overall, as for many studies, additional research is needed to find what effects school library programs have on student achievement.

Evaluation: I thought that this article was very informative, and reiterates what we have been learning throughout library school. It was interesting to find out that the same topics are being discussed and studied across the world, and that despite the populations, we all want to focus on the same ideas in the library.

Revisiting 1918's Ideals of the Future

The Future of Library Work, according to St.  Louis Librarian Arthur E.  Bostwick

Jessica Fibelstad
INFO 266 - Spring 2019

Perhaps the favourite article I stumbled across in JSTOR dates from 1918 and offers the author's vision of libraries in the year 1950.  His prognostication of the future library requiring a patron-centric operation and prioritization of outreach to non-users.  Some of this is downright eerie in its familiarity!

His factors of a positive operation are:

1.  Size of the libray's physical establishment: Awareness of the geographic and socioeconomic conditions that may limit patronage, and Cost: another limiting factor

2.  Professionalization: Development of industry standards and respect for the profession

3.  Popularization:  Opening libraries for "the many, not the few....provid[ing] something for EVERYONE who can read..and picture books for those who cannot." (thank goodness more imaginative thoughts have come along)

4:  Socialization:  People use libraries for more than reading - they need spaces for meetings and other activities of groups

5.  Nationalization: Regulation and identity as a public fixture, like public schools, in the eye of the government.

Isn't this fascinating? Over 100 years ago these standards were philosophized upon.  These same factors pop up in many contemporary policies, and articles regarding needs assessments.  Becoming familiar with the library's heritage of great thinkers is a fantastic thing.  Thank you, JSTOR.

Arthur E.  Bostwick, ALA President 1907-1908

Reference:

Bostwick, A.E.  (1918).  The future of library work.  Bulletin of the American Library Association, 12(3), 50-57.

Photograph: 

From Lydenberg, H.M. (1917). History of the New York Public Library, Part V: The New York Free Circulating Library. Bulletin of the New York Public Library 21: 226-7