LIS 5443 Collection Development and Management

This artifact is for LIS 5443 Collection Development and Management, taken in Fall 2021. The premise behind the paper was to talk to a librarian who works in collection development and see how collection development is handled at a particular library. My original interviewer canceled our appointment, and I then emailed back and forth with two of the collection development team at the Pioneer Library System. Also, I interviewed one librarian from the El Reno Carnegie Library. I decided to go through both interviews just in case one was canceled.

I think both interviews were a success, and this was one of the most significant learning experiences of the entire program. I wish I could have interviewed the Pioneer Library System collection developers face-to-face. I had a lot of follow-up questions I wish I could have asked in the interview. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, that was not an option. Talking with Shae, a librarian who works at the Carnegie Library in El Reno, OK who I interviewed, struck me the most, especially during the library's weeding and purchasing constraints. Reading about a library's struggles with maintaining a collection is one thing. However, talking face-to-face with someone who cannot purchase newer material in the quantities needed to support the community was eye-opening and heartbreaking. The other takeaway was that my knowledge of various subject matters and authors was lacking. The Pioneer Library Systems collection development team mentioned that it helps significantly to read a large number of books and a wide variety of subject matter (personal communication, December 6, 2021).

This class and interview inspired me to read at least one hundred books annually and expand my knowledge of contemporary and popular authors. Having this knowledge not only helps me keep up to date with the latest releases but also allows me to save time for the reader. If I know and understand more about multiple writers, I can be more helpful when suggesting other authors or books in a series. Another thing the interview and class taught me is collection development is a continuous cycle. The ability to select books that the community wants is an art that librarians need to recognize their biases and rely on professional reviews to make selections. From the class and the interviews, I was able to learn what sources I can trust when looking for book reviews and how to use software and analytics to determine better how diverse the collection is, which ties into SLIS SLO 6 (2022). The interviews also made me look at how collection principles and philosophies were being applied by smaller and bigger-sized libraries, which ties into SLIS SLO 2 (2022) 1. It also tied into my personal learning goals of ALA Core Competences (2023) Information Resources and Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information. The interviews contributed immensely to my understanding of how these principles are applied in different public library environments.

Reference

American Library Association. (2023). 2022 ALA core competences of librarianship_final. In American Library Association. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/sites/ala.org.educationcareers/files/content/2022%20ALA%20Core%20Competences%20of%20Librarianship_FINAL.pdf

School of Library and Information Studies. (2022, October 10). Goals and student learning outcomes. The University of Oklahoma. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://www.ou.edu/cas/slis/about/vision