Thursday, December 5, 2019

The Practical Librarian's Guide to Collection Development


Parry, Lauren

Kalan, Abby Preschel. (2014). The practical librarian’s guide to collection development. 

This article details a suburban, medium-sized public librarian’s shortcuts for collection development and the ways in which she has honed her skills over the years in her position. She starts with weeding and expands her guide into acquisition. She also includes a few ideas for marketing to patrons and potential patrons.

I appreciate that this librarian shared her shortcuts to collection development and maintenance. As a library science student, I’m often thinking about the “rules” and standards of overall collection development. It was refreshing to read a guide that adhered to these standards, but in a slightly more informal- yet practical- way. I also liked that Kalan didn’t dance around the more difficult topics. She addressed issues like funding, staying within budget, and the importance of catering to your library’s audience instead of choosing materials that suit your particular interest.

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