Objective 5.1 Collections
Indicator: Candidates evaluate and select print, non-print, and digital
resources using professional selection tools and evaluation
criteria to develop and manage a quality collection designed to
meet the diverse curricular, personal, and professional needs
of students, teachers, and administrators.
While growing up, it is possible to collect a multitude of things. My sister collected coins and Beanie Babies, while my friends collected Barbie Dolls. By looking at my bedroom, one could clearly see that I was a collector of books. From Nancy Drew and The Babysitter’s Club to classics such as The Little Princess, my shelves were packed to the max. As a librarian, I get to take collecting to an all new level; one which
allows me to develop a collection that supports my entire school.
Our collection speaks volumes about our program’s goals. It should support the academic and professional needs of students and staff, while at the same time offer resources that will inspire a love for personal reading. One assignment that challenged me to closely examine collection development was the Reference Bibliography. For this project, I had to showcase 63 resources that I deemed to be of high quality and worthy of adding to my school’s current reference collection. In order to create a well varied list, I sorted my resources into specific categories such as: dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias, electronic databases, and free websites. The truly difficult part of this assignment was that each source had to tie to a specific curricular objective within my school, in addition to receiving high recommendations from professional review journals.
This bibliography allowed me to gain real world experience in making purchasing decisions for the reference section. For each item, I reflected on the resources that were most needed in order to make my collection diverse enough to support all curricular needs, yet balanced in terms of format and source type. This experience showed me that I need to be well versed in the curricula throughout the school so I may purchase materials that can best impact my users. Furthermore, one also must know their collection well enough to compare the upcoming items to those already in the library. For example, I examined sources of similar subject matter, taking into account circulation rates as well as publication years. By looking at all aspects of any library resource, I can be sure that those already in the school are being used to their best potential, and that new additions will only enhance the current collection. Practicing collection development has given me a newfound appreciation for professional review sources. I came to see these sources as a tremendous aide in my selection process. I soon began cross referencing reviews for each artifact, as a means to ensure that my choice was of high merit. Prior to this bibliography, I created a checklist of criteria that one must consider when selecting an item for the library. I was very pleased to see the review sources highlight several of the aspects that I included on my checklist. Using such criteria only emphasizes how careful one must think before making a purchase for the school library. I am thankful that this bibliography gave me the chance to use such sources in order to make selection decisions. To me, a positive review for any library item serves as a justification for adding it to my collection. As a member of the library community, I know that I can depend on the judgment of the librarians who took the time to evaluate the resource and ultimately deem it of high quality. I am confident that by knowing my collection as well as what is going on in the classrooms, I will only develop a collection that best suits all learners’ information needs. I look forward to reading through a variety of review sources in order to help me make the best selection decisions for my program. It is my goal to create a library that is as diverse as its users; a place that not only offers the opportunity to expand one’s academic knowledge, but meets one’s personal needs as well. |
Artifacts:
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