Library Collection Development Policies: School Libraries and Learning Resource Centers(Good Policy Good Practice)

Library Collection Development Policies: School Libraries and Learning Resource Centers represents an ongoing effort to fill the void in the library literature relating to collection development policies. The authors' experience spans four decades as library educators and practitioners. They created this book, as well as the earlier volume devoted to academic, public, and special libraries, to assist both library school students and professionals in the field regarding the compilation, revision, and implementation of policies. Many libraries carry out the vital function of collection development without any form of documented plan. This work provides such a plan and is divided into three major sections. Part one focuses on standardized elements most likely to be found in selection policies, thereby serving as a blueprint for building library holdings; part two explores the ethical and legal issues ensuing from the use of digital resources; and part three addresses digital information within the context of traditional library operations. Concluding the book are two appendixes, one identifies the school libraries that provided material serving either as examples or illustrating the function of various policy statements, and the other provides a selection of materials from the American Library Association dealing with intellectual freedom.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Preface Part 2 Acknowledgments Part 3 Introduction Part 4 1 Collection Development Policy Introduction Part 5 2 Mission, Goals, and Objectives Statement Part 6 3 Responsibility for Collection Development Part 7 4 Evaluative Criteria Part 8 5 Format/Types of Materials Statement Part 9 6 Treatment of Specific Resource Groups Part 10 7 Special Collections Part 11 8 Resource Sharing Part 12 9 Selection Aids Part 13 10 Acquisitions Part 14 11 Gifts Part 15 12 Budgeting/Funding Part 16 13 Intellectual Freedom Part 17 14 Copyright Part 18 15 Collection Maintenance Part 19 16 Weeding Part 20 17 Collection Evaluation Part 21 18 Services/Special Features Part 22 19 Appendixes in Policies Part 23 20 Bibliography Part 24 21 Acceptable Use Policies Part 25 22 Virtual Collection Development Part 26 23 Policy Components for Virtual Resources Part 27 Appendix A: Institutions Contributing Policy Experts Part 28 Appendix B: Intellectual Freedom Statements and Forms Part 29 Index Part 30 About the Authors

About the Author :
Frank W. Hoffmann is professor of library science at Sam Houston State University. He has worked in libraries in Indiana, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania and has written over thirty books relating to librarianship and popular music, including more than a dozen titles for Scarecrow Press. Richard J. Wood is dean of university libraries at the University of South Alabama and was formerly the director of university libraries at the Citadel and Sam Houston State University.

Review :
A school or district would find many useful models here to avoid reinventing policy statements. This useful book is the second volume in the Good Policy, Good Practice series edited by Kirsti Nelson and Martin Dowding. It expands upon the issues and practices the authors explored in their 1996 book, Library Collection Development Policies: A Reference and Writers' Handbook....Because it includes information on the unique issues related to electronic resources, this title would be useful for both experienced and new librarians. Hoffman (library science, Sam Houston State U.) and Wood (U. of South Alabama Library System) offer this book for library school students and professionals on the compilation, revision, and implementation of collection development policies. The book, along with a companion volume, is an outgrowth of their Library Collection Development Policies: A Reference and Writers' Handbook from 1996. The present volume addresses advances in technology by including new policy examples in different library settings from North America. They present policy components that are standardized sections most likely to be found in school library development statements, based on a survey of many written and online policies. These address elements that create a blueprint for building library holdings, ethical and legal issues relating to the use of digital resources, and digital information within the context of traditional library operations. The contents of this book are based on an excellent idea.