Collection Development Policy: Print Resources

This is the first public library text to look at the administration of the public library as essentially different from that of other library types. It also emphasizes the crucial nature of advocacy, promotion, and marketing and demonstrates how each public library can identify and meet the needs of its own particular community.

New public library directors quickly learn what seasoned directors already know: running a library means you've always got your hands full--balancing the needs of staff, patrons, facilities, library boards, and other stakeholders with professional responsibilities like community interactions, legal and financial requirements, and whole lot else that wasn't exactly in the job description. Whether you are considering becoming a public library director, are brand new to the role, or have settled in but find yourself thinking "there's got to be a better way," authors Hall and Parker are here to help. This book walks you through the core components of getting up to speed and then provides templates, sample documents, checklists, and other resources that will make your job easier. Gleaned from their own decades of experience in library leadership positions, in this toolkit they cover such key topics as employees, trustees, finances, legal issues, library policies, emergency planning, and technology; discuss strategic planning and share advice on keeping up with trends; offer nearly two dozen ready-to-use resources, including a Director's Report Template, a Social Media Policy, an Employee Exit Questionnaire, a Library Cleaning Checklist, a Vision Statement worksheet, and more; and suggest additional learning opportunities in each chapter to help you continue your learning journey. Public library directors can steer clear of common pain points by relying on the expert guidance and organizational aids in this toolkit.

Technical Services Quarterly declared that the third edition "must now be considered the essential textbook for collection development and management ... the first place to go for reliable and informative advice." For the fourth edition expert instructor and librarian Johnson has revised and freshened this resource to ensure its timeliness and continued excellence. Each chapter offers complete coverage of one aspect of collection development and management, including numerous suggestions for further reading and narrative case studies exploring the issues. Thorough consideration is given to traditional management topics such as organization of the collection, weeding, staffing, and policymaking; cooperative collection development and management; licenses, negotiation, contracts, maintaining productive relationships with vendors and publishers, and other important purchasing and budgeting topics; important issues such as the ways that changes in information delivery and access technologies continue to reshape the discipline, the evolving needs and expectations of library users, and new roles for subject specialists, all illustrated using updated examples and data; and marketing, liaison activities, and outreach. As a comprehensive introduction for LIS students, a primer for experienced librarians with new collection development and management responsibilities, and a handy reference resource for practitioners as they go about their day-to-day work, the value and usefulness of this book remain unequaled.

Since running a small library--public, academic, school, or special--often means making do with little or no staff, this challenging task calls for its own set of skills and expertise. That's where Moorman's how-to manual comes in, offering guidance on every essential aspect of what it takes to run a small library. Fully revised and updated, including a new chapter on digital library services, the second edition covers such day-to-day issues as Budgeting, from planning to advocacy Developing and implementing policies and procedures Maintaining facilities Acquisition, cataloging, and collection development and management on a shoestring Circulation Programming, outreach, and community partnerships Library technology, from computers and networks to automation systems and beyond Also featured is an updated resource section listing furniture, automation, book, and periodical vendors; electronic discussion and support groups; professional organizations; and resources for more information. This book is a must-have for any solo librarian or library manager with a small staff.

Packed with discussion questions, activities, suggested additional references, selected readings, and many other features that speak directly to students and library professionals, Gregory's Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Library Collections is a comprehensive handbook that also shares myriad insightful ideas and approaches valuable to experienced practitioners. This new second edition brings an already stellar text fully up to date, presenting top-to-bottom coverage of the impact of new technologies and developments on the discipline, including discussion of e-books, open access, globalization, self-publishing, and other trends; needs assessment, policies, and selection sources and processes; budgeting and fiscal management; collection assessment and evaluation; weeding, with special attention paid to electronic materials; collaborative collection development and resource sharing; marketing and outreach; self-censorship as a component of intellectual freedom, professional ethics, and other legal issues; diversity and ADA issues; preservation; and the future of the field. Additional features include updated vendor lists, samples of a needs assessment report, a collection development policy, an approval plan, and an electronic materials license.

Anyone at the helm of a small public library knows that every little detail counts. But juggling the responsibilities that are part and parcel of the job is far from easy. Finally, here's a handbook that includes everything administrators need to keep a handle on library operations, freeing them up to streamline and improve how the organization functions. It's packed with practical advice and numerous checklists for * Preparing budgets, writing financial reports, and working with the library board * Simplifying workflow through effective delegation * Collection development, including tips for effective weeding * Launching initiatives and outreach programs, such as adult literacy programming and homework help centers "Tales from the Field" offer real-world perspectives from library directors across the country. From finance and HR to collection development, policy, and programming, this resource puts ready-to-use information at your fingertips.

Equitable access to information for all, including underserved populations, is a core value of librarianship. The growing awareness of where this inequality persists has led many professionals to take steps to advance social justice within their institutions, from creating book displays about the Black Lives Matter movement or LGBT History Month to hosting programs by potentially controversial speakers. But while libraries are often well-versed in protecting the right to read books, many lack policies and experience in addressing censorship of resources and services. This resource from Pekoll, Assistant Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), uses specific case studies to offer practical guidance on safeguarding intellectual freedom related to library displays, programming, and other librarian-created content. Essential for library directors, administrators, marketers, and programming staff, Beyond Banned Books spotlights case studies drawn from public libraries, schools, universities, and government agencies dealing with library displays, artwork, programs, bookmarks and reading lists, social media, and databases; summarizes possible complaints and controversies related to each area; draws connections between the intellectual freedom principles involved and associated legal issues, with relevant court opinions when possible; shares questions to consider when strengthening a library's defenses against censorship; discusses the importance of reporting challenges to OIF, and the professional and institutional support that OIF can provide when challenges arise; and includes key ALA policies on intellectual freedom as appendices. This guide will ensure that libraries are prepared to protect diverse voices from censorship while fostering more inclusive institutions that represent and welcome all people and ideas.

Weeding can be a controversial subject. But, as Booklist editor, librarian, and blogger Rebecca Vnuk puts it, "A library is an ever-changing organism. Weeding helps the library thrive." In Weeding: A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide, Vnuk has written the definitive guide to weeding library collections the right way. Building on her series of popular Booklist articles on weeding, Vnuk takes the stress out of weeding, providing practical and thoughtful strategies for why and how to weed.

Since it was established in 1967, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has championed the rights of library users to seek and receive information on all subjects from all points of view without restriction and without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others. The new edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual is more than just an invaluable compendium of guiding principles and policies. It's also an indispensable resource for day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people. Fortifying and emboldening professionals and students from across the library spectrum, this manual includes 34 ALA policy statements and documents, 17 new or updated for this edition, addressing patron behavior, internet use, copyright, exhibits, use of meeting spaces, and other common concerns At-a-glance lists summarizing key issues such as access, challenges and censorship, access by minors to controversial materials, and advocacy Explanations of legal points in clear, easy-to-understand language, alongside case citations Numerous checklists to help readers stay organized A glossary and selected bibliographyThis must-have tool will help librarians ensure that institutions of all kinds remain beacons of intellectual freedom.