1 Collection Development Policy

A collection development policy is a document that guides your decisions on what to include, exclude, maintain, and weed from your reference collection. It should reflect your library's mission, vision, goals, and priorities, as well as the needs and preferences of your patrons. A collection development policy can help you justify your choices, allocate your budget, evaluate your collection, and communicate with stakeholders. You should review and update your policy regularly to ensure that it is relevant and responsive to the changing information landscape.

2 Selection Criteria and Tools

Selection criteria are the standards and indicators that you use to evaluate the quality, relevance, currency, accuracy, authority, diversity, and accessibility of potential reference materials. You should apply your selection criteria consistently and critically to avoid bias, duplication, or gaps in your collection. Selection tools are the sources and methods that you use to identify, locate, and compare potential reference materials. Some examples of selection tools are bibliographies, catalogs, reviews, databases, publishers' websites, and recommendations from patrons or colleagues.

3 Acquisition and Licensing

Acquisition is the process of obtaining the reference materials that you have selected for your collection. You can acquire materials through purchase, donation, exchange, or subscription. Licensing is the process of negotiating and agreeing on the terms and conditions of access and use of electronic reference materials, such as e-books, e-journals, or databases. You should be familiar with the different types of acquisition and licensing models, such as one-time purchase, perpetual access, annual subscription, pay-per-view, or consortial agreement. You should also be aware of the legal and ethical implications of acquisition and licensing, such as copyright, fair use, or privacy.

4 Organization and Access

Organization and access are the processes of arranging, describing, and providing access to the reference materials in your collection. You should follow the standards and best practices of cataloging, classification, indexing, metadata, and linking to ensure that your reference materials are consistent, accurate, and searchable. You should also use the appropriate tools and platforms to organize and access your reference materials, such as integrated library systems, discovery services, digital repositories, or web portals. You should also monitor and evaluate the usage and performance of your reference materials, such as through statistics, feedback, or analytics.

5 Maintenance and Weeding

Maintenance and weeding are the processes of keeping your reference collection up-to-date, relevant, and useful. Maintenance involves checking, repairing, replacing, or updating your reference materials as needed. Weeding involves removing, discarding, or transferring your reference materials that are no longer needed, useful, or accurate. You should apply your collection development policy and selection criteria to guide your maintenance and weeding decisions. You should also document and report your maintenance and weeding activities, such as through inventory, disposal, or donation records.

6 Budgeting and Planning

Budgeting and planning are the processes of estimating, allocating, and managing your financial resources for your reference collection. You should base your budgeting and planning on your collection development policy, your selection criteria, your acquisition and licensing models, your organization and access tools, and your maintenance and weeding activities. You should also consider the external factors that may affect your budgeting and planning, such as inflation, currency exchange, demand, supply, or competition. You should also track and report your budgeting and planning activities, such as through invoices, receipts, or reports.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?