Info 266- The Collection Development Policy

 Anna Nicholson

Sullivan, M. (2013). The collection development policy [for children's services]. In M. Sullivan (Ed.), Fundamentals of children's services (2nd ed., pp. 45-54). ALA. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sjsu/detail.action?docID=3001691 

Summary: In this chapter, the author explains the purpose of a collection development policy, defines policy, and explains the different pieces that make up this policy- particularly in children’s services. The chapter then expands upon the importance of aligning the policy with the organization’s mission and vision statements. Next, the chapter explores how service roles and selection criteria and responsibility need to be reflected in the collection development policy. Finally, Sullivan explains how to break down a collection by topics and subsections to determine what resources are needed, where they should be placed, and how the collection supports intellectual freedom. 

Evaluation: This was a useful chapter because it did a good job explaining the purpose of a development policy and how to create and use one. In addition, I appreciated that this resource was specific towards children's services because it helped me understand the different concerns and issues that I should be aware of when making a collection development policy for a school library. Ultimately, this was a clear, concise resource that I would recommend reading for more information about the roles information professionals play and the criteria that should be used when selecting or deselecting children's materials.