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Collection Development for a New Age

Collection Development for a New Age. Bill Lukenbill, Professor School of Information University of Texas at Austin. Today’s program. What is collection development? The scientific management principles Artistic approaches to collection development Theory and collection development

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Collection Development for a New Age

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  1. Collection Development for a New Age Bill Lukenbill, Professor School of Information University of Texas at Austin

  2. Today’s program • What is collection development? • The scientific management principles • Artistic approaches to collection development • Theory and collection development • Collection management and legal issues • Lunch • Selection aids, reviews, and standing orders • Librarian’s legal obligations and censorship

  3. Today’s program • Special considerations • Boys and reading • Biography • The open mike—questions and opinions • Marketing the collection

  4. What is this thing called “collection development”? • Collection development is defined in several ways: • Professional expectations (e.g., AASL, state mandates, school expectations) • Personal (e.g., personal ideas, one’s professional philosophy, etc.) • Guided by larger principles of scientific management • Guided by social and cultural consideration

  5. Management and scientific principles Scientific inquiry Systematic analysis of a collection and its needs Adherence to a professional paradigm and standards Information Power, ALA, 1988 Scientific management principles

  6. Problem-solving techniques System approach (input, process, output, feedback)

  7. Artistic approaches Artistic approaches to collection development Art is conscious use of skill and creative imagination. (Webster’s Collegiate,10th ed., p. 65) Art is based on individual experiences, observations, skills, creative imagination Art is often conditioned by personal and political judgments, intuitions, and individual and professional life-philosophies

  8. Example of Unique Creative Expression, Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937

  9. In day-to-day operations in making collections decision, art and science are combined Be cautious about how they are combined Know when they are at work and how you are combining them In the day-to-day world

  10. Where we’ve been, and where we are headed • What textbooks have to tell us • Textbooks from the 1920s onward have reflected the growth of progressive education (e.g., moving away from rote-learning and textbook centered learning to the better use of self-discovery and vicarious experiences, a better world-view) • Recent textbooks build on that by seeing the school librarian as a facilitator of learning and a master teacher

  11. The role of collection development and the role of the librarian in collection development is presented as central to the intellectual, social, and information role of the school

  12. Group exercise • As a small group, reflect back on your experiences in collection development and clearly decide when you were applying scientific approaches and when you were using your artistic intuition and skills. Give specific examples to share. • Based on your experiences, consider specific ways (anecdotal evidence) that your collections have met these traditional aspects: social, intellectual, and informational needs, and any others)

  13. “What’s theory got to do with it anyway” • Theory plays an important role in collection development • Theory helps librarians understand what they are attempting to do and it acts as a guide to what they do routinely • Theory is an explanation of phenomena and it can be defined in several ways:

  14. Definitions of theory • Abstract thought and speculation • Abstract application of facts • An unproved assumption • A belief, policy, procedure, proposal designed for action e.g., “our collection is developed on the idea that diversity in the collection promotes learning” • An idealized or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances used as theory, e.g., “we have always advocated intellectual freedom in our collection development policy”

  15. Definition of scientific theory • Scientific theory and its application • A plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena • Theory of human evolution. A theory based on a testing of an idea, the gathering of facts, the formation of an hypothesis, and the coherent develop of an explanation that presently offers the best evidence of how humans developed.

  16. Conflicts in how theory is applied • A Question: How is the theory of evolution represented in library collections: • Scientific theory of evolution • Creationism theory • Intelligent design theory • The Library of Congress makes no value judgments—if the author presents intelligent design as science, the Library catalogs it as such

  17. Theories and collection development • Theories that influence collection development: • Literary and the aesthetic (what is well written and promotes beauty) • Moral theory and approach (what is good and noble vs. what is evil and immoral • Social and cultural theories (how literature reflects, controls, or influences society and culture

  18. Psychological theories (how writers present their characters and their motivations; how presentations inform, support, and/or influence behaviors of readers) Feminist theory (addresses women in society and considers issues that are important to them (political, social, cultural, and economic and power roles) Cognitive theories (how people learn and process information)

  19. Group exercise • Mark Dressman holds that women librarians when making selections and presenting materials to youth favor fiction because they are more concerned about the literary and aesthetic aspects of materials, showing less interest in how materials promote cognitive development or learning. He claims that this approach hurts boys who prefer a more cognitive or factual approach to what they read. Do you feel his idea or theory is justified? Why or why not? • (Source: Mark Dressman. Literacy in the Library: Negotiating the Spaces between Order and Desire, 1997).

  20. Group exercise continued • Consider on the so-called “cultural war” in which the United States finds itself today, e.g., the conflicts over values. With that in mind, what two theoretical approaches just discussed would seem best in building collections within such a diverse social and cultural environment?

  21. Collection development: Management and legal concerns • Selection policies (official guides to how materials are selected) • Collection development plan (statement as to how the collection will be developed: • What will be selected routinely and in what depth • Curriculum and instruction • Student and faculty interests • Information needs of students and faculty • Parenting information and guides • What will generally not be selected (and why) • Material not in the collection • Specialized research materials • Textbooks

  22. Legal documents • Legal status of collection development policies and plans • Might/can stand as evidence in court challenges • Censorship (why was an item removed—did that removal violate official policy?) • Why are certain materials not collected—does their exclusion violate students’ rights (e.g., sex education materials containing certain information?) • Harry Potter novels have been rescued based on court review of policies (Arkansas)

  23. Selection aids to the rescue • Purpose of selection aids • Some issues • Caliber of selection aids (are they good and useful) • Role of professional associations (e.g., ALA, Booklist, since 1908, special awards and lists) • Place and contributions of commercial enterprises ( e.g., H. W. Wilson) • Reviewers and their qualifications (points-of-view, experiences, policy and social leanings, ability to write and to make good decisions • Electronic review services • Expense and affordability • Internet sources • Reader reviewers (amazon.com, Barnes & Noble)

  24. Reviews for librarians • What we want in a technical, librarian’s review: • Order information (complete) • Brief summary • Identification of age, audience, reading level, conceptual levels and/or anticipated difficulties • Statement regarding strong and weak points • Comparison with other works • Special aspects • Recommendations and/or qualifications as to purchase

  25. Standing orders and collection profiles • Profiles and standing orders • Electronic profiles of collection needs • Automatic purchases based on existing plans/profiles of needs • Commercial selection services

  26. Protecting the collection in legal ways • Professional responsibilities in protecting the collection from censorship • Librarians as censors in the early years • American Library Association takes a stand with the Library Bill of Rights, 1939 • Current-day responsibilities and duties guided by the Library Bill of Rights and its various interpretations

  27. Librarians’ legal responsibilities • Legal responsibilities • U. S. Constitution and the 1st Amendment (Freedom of Speech clause) • The U.S. Constitution is a rigid document and cannot be changed easily, but it is subject to court interpretations • First and only school censorship case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court was Board of Education, Island Trees, New York v. Pico

  28. Questions to the Court • Court was asked to consider whether the board had violated first amendment rights by ordering 5 books removed from the high school library • The Court ruled (5-4) in favor of Pico, saying that the Board had infringed on first amendment rights

  29. Court outlined a board’s rights and responsibilities • The Court did say the board has the right to oversee collections in the library and ensure that the collection met sound educational standards • The Court stated that a board could not remove books based on personal opinions, and that only sound educational reasons could be used to review library materials

  30. Boards still have supervisory rights, but these rights must not be in violation of students’ first amendment freedoms In court cases heard under this ruling, lower courts have considered evidence of how a board considers and justifies decisions to remove books Pico has also been used in cases involving other first amendment questions (Internet, public library collections) Pico continued

  31. Affects on school librarians • How does this affect school librarians? • Understand the ruling and its limitations • Make sure administrators and board members understand the ruling • Make sure that parents understand the ruling • Avoid censorship behaviors that could be used as court evidence (failure to buy certain types of materials; removal of materials based on personal biases)

  32. Group exercise • Case study: A parent has complained about a book in the school’s library collection and the principal ordered the librarian to take the book off the shelves immediately. This order is in violation of official school selection policy that calls for a review of a challenged book by a review committee, with recommendation to be forwarded to the board for action. The principal’s action is in violation of board policy and may also be in violation of Pico. Assuming that you have no supervisor, how would you as a librarian address this situation if it were you?

  33. Special Considerations:Boys and reading • Boys will read • Society and youth culture influences much of their reading taste and habits • Sex • Violence • Action • Celebrities who are perceived as adventurous and active

  34. Formats favored by boys • Formats • Comics • Graphics novels • Magazines with pictures • Biographies • How-to-do-it manuals • Short, adventure novels

  35. Access and availability • Availability • In school libraries • At the public library • In bookshops • In the home • School library selection policies and practices • Curriculum needs • Recreation needs • Selection criteria

  36. Guides to practice Boys and Literacy Practical Strategies for Librarians, Teachers, and Parents Knowles, Elizabeth and Smith, Martha Price: $35.00 ISBN: 1591582121 Libraries Unlimited Paperback | 192 pages Publication Date: 03/30/2005

  37. Connecting Boys with Books What Libraries Can Do Michael Sullivan

  38. Graphic Novels Now Building, Managing, and Marketing a Dynamic Collection Francisca Goldsmith Graphic Novels Now helps librarians new to the genre with all the key issues related to these unique books

  39. Graphic Novels in Your Media Center A Definitive Guide Lyga, Allyson A. W. and Lyga, Barry Price: $35.00ISBN: 1591581427Libraries UnlimitedPaperback | 200 pagesPublication Date: 06/30/2004

  40. Promotional materials and boys ALA Celebrity Read Poster ALA Publications

  41. Batman reads too!!! ALA promotional Batman poster, ALA Publications

  42. Special Consideration:Biographies for all • Reflect current social life and customs • Offer historical perspectives • Present role models • Meets development needs • Offer identification with persons of success • Provide good sources of recreational reading • Help in socialization into modern life • Promote literacy development • Offer avenues to literary appreciation (biography as fine literature)

  43. Offer access to local, state and regional biographies Provide reference resources

  44. Problems with biography • Problems and issues • Mass media and celebrity culture • Influence on attitudes and behaviors • Role models and real life behaviors • Values and beliefs • Variety in content • Short interest span, short shelf-life

  45. Guides to practice From Biography to History Best Books for Children's Entertainment and Education By Barr, Catherine Price: $65.95 ISBN: 0835240126 Libraries Unlimited Hardcover | 523 pages Publication Date: 01/30/1998

  46. Biographical information on television (cable television) BIOGRAPHY: Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union Also Available in DVD $29.95 1 Volume Set 100 Minutes Ships to U.S. and Canada

  47. Local and state biographies • Sources include: • Local, commercial small presses • University presses • Local and state organizations (e.g., historical associations) • Local and state news outlets • Local libraries and museums

  48. Biographies and local personalities and events • Biographies offer insight into local history as well as larger social and historical events and personalities

  49. The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier, by Scott Zesch St. Martin’s Press, 2004 “Taken by the Indians” Notice placed in an Austin, Texas newspaper, 1860s

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