THE CONCEPT OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY AT LIBRARY

Oleh: Muhammad Nur Effendi, S.Ag., S.S., M.Pd.I (Dosen Tetap D3 IPII IAIN Antasari Banjarmasin
A. Introduction
A collection development policy is a statement written for library’s intentions for building its collection. It describes the collection’s strengths and weaknesses and provides guidelines for library staff. Collections development purpose for building a good and correct library collections for the importances of its users. Producing one is a commitment; it takes time and careful consideration to develop a useful and relevant document. The collection will be used users so the collection must be correct, useful for user community.
This policy is established by the Library Board of Control to further public understanding of the purpose and nature of the library's collection and to provide guidance and direction to the library staff for the development and maintenance of the Library's collection. Because of the volume of publishing as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a collection development policy with which to support the library’s mission and community needs.
A collection development policy should be a living document, adaptable to change and growth. It provides guidelines that can be modified as library’s collection needs change. This section discusses the importance of collection development policies, outlines the basic elements of these policies, and identifies the steps involved in writing a policy for developing library collection. It should be noted, that as libraries put important policy and other documents on their websites, it is possible to link from one document to another without the need to duplicate information that once had to be included in more than one document. Use your common sense to determine when a section of the collection development policy might be excluded by linking to the same information in another official document also on the Web.
B.General Purpose of Collection Developement
The Library is actively building its media collection to serve the changing needs of library user community. Items in the collection circulate as liberally as the nature of the material, copyright restrictions, and demand allow. Collection Development Policy supports the library mission, the community strategic plan, and state standards for public libraries.
The general purpose of the Library collection development is to serve all the people with materials, information, and services through a network of branches that are conveniently located and easy to use. The library strives to help people make informed decisions, enjoy their free time, and continue learning all their lives. The library must provide a wide range of materials at all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, considering the ability and maturity level of the users served, with the presentation of various collections. The Library Board and Staff are committed to providing high quality, cost effective, equitable service that meets the needs of library user community
A primary goal of the collection is to be accessible to all users . These goals are that the library will provide: educational resources, equal access to information about the community, cultural resources and local history, and convenient access to information.
The library collection is evaluated annually using standards depend on their Libraries and staff experience in how and what the users use the library collection. The Standards evaluate a collection based on Materials per Capita, age of the Collection and turnover of Materials. Staff uses collection comparison to standards, evaluation of the collection based on use, space available and collection objectives which are reviewed and revised annually.
C. Responsibilities for Collection Development
Responsibility for selection ultimate responsibility for material selection rests with the Manager and all the people ( librarians, library staffs) who relates within the framework of policies determined by the Board of Library Trustees. The Library manager must be able to answer to the Library Board and the general public for actual selections made by staff, he/she has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.
The Collection Development Librarian oversees the selection process and provides professional support for other material selectors as well as tracks the material budget to insure a flow of new materials throughout the year according to budget allocations.
Community participation involvement by the user community in the selection process is encouraged. It is very crucial to involve community in order to give their contribution for this development and selection. Several mechanisms are provided for this purpose including: analysis of pending hold and interlibrary loan requests, reference questions, and purchase suggestions submitted by library users. User suggestions for purchase will be evaluated in accordance with the collection development policy. Accessibility of Materials All materials are shelved on open shelves, freely and easily accessible to the public.
The library assures free access to its holdings for all users, who are free to select or reject for themselves any item in the collection. Individual or group prejudice about a particular item or type of material in the collection may not preclude its use by others. Children are not limited to the children's collection, although these collections are kept separate from other library collections to facilitate use. Responsibility for a child's reading must rest with the parent or guardian, not with the library.
D. Importance of Collection Development Policies
Every library, no matter how small, should have a collection development policy. Such a policy is really an expanded version of the mission or purpose of the library. The policy can be useful in several ways. First, a policy provides a point of reference for staff to consult when deciding on whether to acquire, discard, or reject an item. By following the guidelines established in developing policy, librarian makes more consistent and informed decisions about the collection and provide continuity during times of staff turnover or funding changes. In addition, the policy serves as a source of reinforcement when an item is challenged by a patron.
E.Preparing a Collection Development Policy
Preparing a collection development policy is a major project. As such, one needs to recognize that it will be time-consuming and require a lot of consultation and referrals with Board members, staff and perhaps other librarians and citizens. There are many resources that can be made upon to assist librarians with the process. These include librarians and staff members in other libraries both those libraries that are similar and those very much unlike other library policy, examples posted on the Web by other libraries, and a wealth of professional writing and materials on the Web and in traditional print.
Here are some guidelines that might find useful to help librarians get started writing a policy for their library if the library does not already have one or to revise a policy that has become outdated or inadequate.
1. Establishing the procedure
Before librarian begin to revise or initially prepare a policy, governing board or other entity should be informed. A discussion with them should help determine what the process will be, who will be involved initially, what is to be included, and what the timeline for the project is to be.
Collection development policies may be written by a committee that includes perhaps the library director, an informed staff member, and a Board member, or by an individual. In most instances, the task of actually putting the pieces together, editing the final version, informing the Library Board about the implications of various policy options, and even educating them about collection development policies will fall to the library director. No matter how the pieces of the policy are written or who drafts them, the Library Board and the staff will need to review and provide input on each segment. A library policy of any type by definition is an official document and as such must be officially adopted by the Board at a regularly scheduled public meeting. At this point it is useful for librarians to provide board and/or committee with an outline of the policy elements.
2. Gathering data
Pull together all of the pieces of the puzzle librarians will need before they begin. Create a file folder or box to contain all of the following types of information:
1) Basic data about community (population, size, age distribution, educational levels, and other library and educational opportunities available to the citizens) are likely already in place if they have recently engaged in developing a strategic plan. If a planning process is not likely soon but librarian needs a collection development policy now, then they will need to gather this information .
2) In particular they want to recognize and focus upon changes or issues that are now or might soon affect the informational and recreational needs of particular community segments.
3) The library’s current long-range or strategic plan provides large segments of what is initially needed for the policy.
4) Data gleamed from doing a collection assessment as well as data about how much the collection is used, and what its strengths and weaknesses appear to be.
5) Existing policy statements. Sometimes they will find these buried away in files and not being used at all to make daily decisions.
6) Written procedures about the work within the library, especially those related to gifts, acquisitions, processing, and circulation. All of these might impact what the policy will ultimately reflect and they are likely to want to refer to these as the details of the policy are sorted out.
3. Writing the policy
The discussion about the collection development policy elements includes advice about which pieces of the policy might be drafted first by an individual such as the librarian and those pieces that will need prior discussion by the Board before any general decisions are formalized into a draft statement. Sometimes it is helpful to draft a few of the easy components first and bring these pieces to the Board for discussion and general approval as a starting point for the policy process. This gets the project off to a good start and helps to energize everyone. The policy outline librarians have already shared with them provides an easy way to check off topics as they are finished. Then they can move on to another piece to resolve. Like list-making, this gives individuals a sense of making progress on a big task.
After identifying pieces such as a summary description of the community served by the library and any other sections that might already exist in another official document to which they could create a link from the policy, proceed to the preparation of some of the generally easy sections to draft and discuss such as the purpose of the policy itself and the policy on gifts.. In order for the Board to understand the issues it is essential that they be given a sense of the range of options that might be selected. In the case of gifts, there are many options. The policy can range from accepting everything (no longer a good option in even the smallest community) to accepting only unencumbered money.
One might bring a worksheet to the staff and later to the Board with a number of options identified. Then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Let the Board determine what the policy is ultimately to be and then you or whoever is writing the policy statements can incorporate the decision in a draft gift statement to come before the Board for general approval at their next meeting. One might wish to take some of the “touchy” issues to the Board for discussion prior to even drafting any of the words or options.
In the course of writing the policy one must think carefully about the statements presented in the policy and how your library constituents will perceive them. The collection development policy can be a public relations tool for library, as well as protection against questions about library’s collection practices and a guide for staff members involved in making collection decisions.
4. Getting the policy approved
Once they have general approval of all of the components of the policy and it has been thoroughly revised and edited (get someone other than the main writer to do the editing), it is time to get it officially adopted as the policy of the library. This should be done at a Board meeting or other meeting of the officials responsible for setting policy. Ideally they would like the entire policy to be adopted through a single vote at this point. The official copy of the policy should be signed and dated by the appropriate person (usually a library board chair), its adoption and the record of the vote should appear in the recorded minutes of the meeting. This final and formal approval as well as their work with the board during the process of writing the policy helps to ensure that they understand the importance of the policy and that they can be more certain of their backing in times of controversy.
5. Using policy
The purpose of the policy is to use it. Therefore, be certain that it is posted on the library’s website, that every staff member is given a copy, and that a nice copy (perhaps in a folder) is always available at the circulation desk for an interested citizen to read and for staff to consult if need be. In order to be prepared to revise the policy when the time comes, it is a good idea to keep a copy of the policy easily available at all times (in a handy file folder perhaps) and to use it to make notes.The notes might reflect situations that arise for which there appears to be little guidance or for instances when lack of clarity becomes apparent in deciding about the inclusion or exclusion, the specific location, or the level of access for a particular title, type of material, or format. If they find the policy does not help them make consistent decisions then they might wish to make a note in the margins regarding the type of revision or the question that needs to be addressed next time the policy is revised.
6. Revising policy
It is critical to review the policy according to the schedule they will have included in the final section of the policy. This should be at least every three years. The good news is that revising a policy, if done in a timely fashion, requires only minor changes. Collection development is a collaborative process, and faculty and students, user community, government are encouraged to provide recommendations for library materials selection.
All materials selected under the guidelines of this policy will be available to the public in circulating or non-circulating collections, within the rules governing the use of such materials.
Requirements for responsible use may be applied to the use of certain materials and/or equipment.Library materials representing a wide range of interests and reading levels are selected to meet the needs of the patrons. The responsibility of choosing from this range of materials rests with the user.
F. Selection and Development Criteria
To build collections of merit and significance, materials must be measured by a number of criteria. The basic test for selection of any item is whether it is of proven or potential interest to the people served. Other considerations include the quality of the material, the attention of critics, reviewers and the public, the amount of similar materials already in the collection, and the extent to which the material may be available elsewhere in the community. In addition, the cost and physical makeup of the material are considered. These decisions are all professional in nature.
Materials should be selected both to satisfy the prevalent tastes, needs and reading abilities in the community and to provide diversity in recognition of changing and minority interests. In choosing materials to suit a variety of tastes, differing viewpoints on controversial issues will be included.
The Collection Development Coordinator and library staff further consider a title in terms of its Library collection priorities, level of community interest, ability to provide diversity or balance to the collection, availability through interlibrary loan, collection priorities of other libraries in the service area, and funding. In addition to collection-wide selection and collection criteria, the development of some subject collections, such as Genealogy, requires the application of more specific selection criteria and collection parameters.
1). Nonfiction Criteria
Each item is evaluated in its entirety and not on the basis of a particular section.While a single standard cannot be applied to each work, the following general criteria are to be considered when selecting materials for purchase: authoritativeness of the writer and reputation of the publisher; accuracy of information; impartiality of opinion, or clearly stated bias; timeliness of data; adequate breadth and depth of coverage; appropriateness and relevancy of subject to the library's users; popular demand; historical value; availability of similar material within the community and other area libraries; organization and style appropriate to the material and to the library's users; good quality illustrations; special features, such as bibliography and index; durable binding and paper; and cost.
2).Fiction Criteria
Works of contemporary fiction, graphic novels, and classic works of enduring value are included in the collection. Fiction is selected according to the following criteria:popular demand; bestsellers; genre; local author; reputation of the author and publisher; appropriateness to the library's users; importance as a document of the times; relationship to the existing collection and to other titles and authors dealing with the same subject; interest and originality of the plot; interest and development of the characters; style of writing; literary merit; inclusion in standard library bibliographies; availability of similar material within the community and other area libraries; the physical qualities of the book; cost; and whether a title is part of an existing series.
3).Periodicals Criteria
Periodicals are publications issued and received on a regular basis in print, microfilm, or electronic format. The library provides representative periodicals in a wide range of subjects of reference value and recreational interest. Selection is based on cost; requests by library users or library employees; whether the periodical has local or regional interest; and whether a subject area needs to be expanded to help balance the collection.
4). Reference Criteria
Reference materials, whether in print or computer-based formats, are those designed by the arrangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for definite items of information rather than to be read consecutively. They can provide quick, concise, up to date or current information or they may serve as an index to other materials in the collection. Since they are typically used daily by the public and Library staff to answer specific questions, books in the reference collection are designated for use within the Library. So it is needed to know its authorship, content, configuration and arrangement on the reference material.
5) Computer-Based Resources Citeria
The following criteria should be considered when evaluating computer-based resources for the collection: compatibility with available equipment and/or existing operating systems; ease of use by library users, including enhanced searching capabilities; price of print format versus electronic; authority; accuracy; frequency of updating; anticipated demand by library users; impact upon staff for ongoing maintenance and updating of database; training requirements for staff and the public; remote access capability; and licensing fees and usage restrictions.
G. Special Collections Development
a. Gifts of Library Materials
The gifts section has a number of responsibilities. A library with a special collections department may actively attempt to secure gifts from various donors. The primary function of a gifts section is to evaluate any materials donated and to decide what to do with them.
Gifts are accepted with the understanding that they will be considered for addition to the collection in accordance with the Material Selection Plan. The library reserves the right to sell or otherwise dispose of gifts and donated materials through branch book sales, the Friends of the Library book sales, recycling or disposal services.
b. Monetary Donations
Gifts of money are always welcome and appreciated. Specific recommendations from the donor are honored as far as the suggestions enhance subject areas of need within the collection and are in accordance with the Collection Development Policy selection guidelines.
H. Weeding (Deselection)
Book withdrawal is an important aspect of collection development. When library books lose the value for which they were originally selected, they should be withdrawn. This task takes skill, care, time, and knowledge of the materials to do a competent job.
The purpose of a withdrawal policy is to insure that the collection remains vital and useful by:
a. discarding and/or replacing items in poor physical condition
b eliminating items with obsolete, misleading or superseded information
c. reducing the number of copies of titles whose relevance to the community has lessened.
The following criteria to evaluate a title's current usefulness to the materials collection:
a.M = Misleading (and/or factually inaccurate)
b.U = Ugly (worn and beyond mending or rebinding)
c. S = Superseded by a truly new edition or by a much better book on the subject
d.T = Trivial (of no discernible literary or scientific merit)
e. Y = Your collection has no use for this book (i.e. irrelevant to the needs and interests of the community)
I. Conclusion
The collection development must be done at library at least in every three years. The collection development policy covers selection, processing, weeding, evaluation of library collection. A collection development policy must be a living document, adaptable to change and growth. It provides guidelines that can be modified as library’s collection needs change.
The purpose of the Library collection development is to serve all the people with materials, information, and services through a network of branches that are conveniently located and easy to use.
A good and correct collection is the collections that would be accessible to all users . These goals are that the library will provide: educational resources, equal access to information about the community, cultural resources and local history, and convenient access to information.
Responsibility for selection ultimate responsibility for material selection rests with the Manager and all the people ( librarians, library staffs, user community) who relates within the framework of policies determined by the Board of Library Trustees.
Community participation involvement by giving contribution in the selection process is encouraged. It is very crucial to involve community in order to give their contribution for this development and selection. Because the library is based on the importance of its user community.





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