Collection Development Project

 

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The primary clients of the East Providence Public Library are the residents of East Providence. Because the library is a member of the CLAN system, it also serves all Rhode Island residents. The East Providence Public Library system consists of the main library, Weaver Memorial, and three library branches, Riverside, Rumford and Fuller. The population of East Providence  is 48,688.  Children under age 18 are 21.7% of the total population (10,546).  There are 8,134 children in grades K through 12 and 704 children enrolled in nursery school or preschool.

In an effort to provide the best possible service to our patrons, the East Providence public library evaluates all sections of the collection, on a rotating basis. Collection Evaluation (or weeding)  will considers the age of materials, appropriateness and currency of the language used, format and relevance. The focus of evaluation is the collection itself. While usage studies evaluate circulation, Gorman and Howe (1989) suggest that collection evaluation should be based on the quality of the collection, not on circulation studies. This report will cover evaluation of the Weaver Memorial Library's juvenile space travel collection (Dewey Decimal Classification  number 629.4-629.499). Subject coverage  of this section includes materials on astronauts, space travel and spacecraft. In an age when technology is rapidly developing,  information becomes quickly outdated. Some older materials, however, need to be retained to provide historical information, especially for children doing school projects and reports.  The goal is to increase usage of this section of the collection by offering current material, while discarding outdated, unused and unattractive books. There are a number of methods used to evaluate library collections. These include the following:

Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Some can be used in combination with others. Clearly, any collection development program must consider the needs of the community as well as the mission and resources of the library.  For this project, Weaver library is using the CREW (Continuous  Review Evaluation and  Weeding) method. Beth Gaffett Tengwall, a Master of Library and Information Studies student will be conducting the review. The CREW method uses  the MUSTIE criteria for weeding. This approach asks whether the material is Misleading, Ugly, Superceded by new material, Trivial (of little or no literary or scientific merit), Irrelevant to the needs of the community, or easily available Elsewhere? There are additional criteria used to evaluate whether material should be discarded or added to the collection. For example, consider the condition of the material, in terms of its age and  attractiveness. Patrons are less likely to use a book if it looks "old" because they may not trust the information or think that the book will be of no interest.. The library may no longer need the number of copies it currently owns. Access to current, accurate information is an essential consideration. For a full description of the CREW method, see Texas State Library Criteria for Weeding Material at the Texas State Library website http://www.lili.org/isl/cepage/Courses/Course4/05criteria.htm .

Collection assessment is one component of the overall, ongoing planning process within the library. The library mission, goals, objectives, programs and activities will affect and be impacted by the level of assessment employed. As a result, different libraries will have different reasons, at different times to conduct a  collection evaluation. Determining the reason for the weeding program is the first step of the process. It is necessary to determine the answers to the following questions:

What is the goal of the evaluation?

    For this project, the goal is to be sure that the library is providing current material in the area of space travel.

What are the parameters of the evaluation?

The children's Dewey Decimal Classification 629.40 to 629.499  section will be weeded. Space Travel

What kind of sampling is to be used?

All books in this area will be reviewed.

What aspects of the are being analyzed?

The main considerations are the age and condition of books in this part of the collection. Because the sciences are a rapidly changing field, books that are five to ten years old will be considered for de-accessioning.

Can the necessary information be gathered?

This section of the collection is relatively small.  Initially, there were just under 50 books in the section.

What method is appropriate?

After consulting with library personnel, the CREW method was chosen to complete this project 

Estimate Possible findings

I expect to find material that is outdated and needs to be replaced by more current, more attractive and less worn items.

What benefits will be realized by conducting this evaluation.

As a result of weeding this section, patrons will have more accurate and current information on space travel than was previously the case.

How will the evaluation process itself effect overall library operations?

Because the evaluation is being done by a knowledgeable volunteer, there will be little disruption of the library's daily activities. Mrs. Tengwall will work independently, consulting with library staff as needed. The children's Department staff weed each section of the collection on a rotating basis. Ideally the entire collection will be evaluated in the course of the year.  Mrs. Tengwall began by surveying the  space sciences collection (Dewey Call number 629.40 to 629.499. Books over ten years of age weeded, as were titles that were damaged or written in. 18 books were discarded; 34 titles remain in the collection.

Criteria for Space travel material weeding and selection

Ideally, the entire children's collection should be evaluated annually; different sections are weeded each month. In practice, however, patron service needs take priority and de-selection may not occur on schedule.

The first phase of the collection evaluation  project a the Weaver library was to evaluate and weed the space science collection. Because science materials can become quickly outdated, the collection needs to be evaluated regularly. Material over 5 years old should be replaced by more current titles. The Picture Library series, with titles Astronauts, Spacecraft, and The Space Shuttle were all published in 1985. These titles were removed from the collection.

A second factor in de-selection is circulation. Circulation statistics can be determined by checking a book's circulation record in the online catalog. Items not checked out during the past two years are further evaluated for removal.  For example, a search on Astronauts by N. S. Barrett indicated that the book had not been checked out in three years. This fact alone does not require that the book be replaced. Other criteria such as circulation status and age of the volume, however, may indicate that the item needs to be weeded. In some cases reclassifying a book will result in higher use.

The condition of the individual book may suggest that it needs to be replaced. If a book has been marked or written in, it may need to be discarded. The extent of the marking will determine whether the book needs to be replaced. This judgment is  open to interpretation. How much marking is too much? At what point does the book need to be replaced? Some librarians hold very high standards. If there are any marks on a book it will be weeded. Others take a more open approach, particularly in the children's department. They will determine if the markings interfere with the text. Can it still be read? Was the marking intentional or is it possible that a small child wrote in a library book an older sibling had borrowed? These factors will be considered in the decision about whether to remove the book from the collection and the actions needed to replace it. Potential acquisitions were identified using the following resources, accessed through InfoTrac

In addition I used reviews from Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/283155/ref%3Dtab%5Fgw%5Fb%5F3/102-2614248-5633769 ), Hornbook magazine (http://www.hbook.com/) , Hornbook Guide ( http://www.hornbookguide.com ) and ENC Online (http://www.enc.org/ ).

Evaluating Review Resources

Choosing review resources can be a challenge. My tendency is to use sources with which I  am familiar; those I consider to be reliable. Hornbook magazine and Hornbook Guide were a bit of a challenge because I know I have a bias towards them. Initially, I resisted using the Hornbook publications for that reason. Eventually, however, I found them useful. Knowing a bit more about their bias helped. The other resource I approached cautiously was Amazon.com.   In addition to their own staff reviews, however, Amazon.com frequently includes reviews from professional sources, such as School Library Journal. I used only reviews from sources I recognize and respect, such as Publishers Weekly. I generally consider Publishers Weekly and SLJ to be reliable. I checked for qualifications from unfamiliar sources.

I came upon a few unfamiliar resources in my search. I was pleased to discover ENC Online. This  is a site for K-12 science teachers, located at the Ohio State University and funded through a contract with the US Department of Education. ENC Online is the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, whose mission is to "identify effective curriculum resources, create high-quality professional development materials, and disseminate useful information and products to improve K-12 mathematics and science teaching and learning." http://www.enc.org/about/mission/. I was confident that their reviews were reliable. Conversely, librarians will want to find unbiased sources to balance reviews from Hodder Headline. http://www.hodderheadline.co.uk/index.asp. Hodder Headline http://www.hodderheadline.co.uk/default.asp is produced by British publisher  Hodder & Stoughton. While their reviews can be helpful introductions to British authors and titles, the fact that  Hodder Headline is produced by the books' publisher implies a potential  bias. The librarian who receives  frequent requests for British titles will find that Hodder Headline is a valuable resource.

After completing this project Mrs. Tengwall expects that space science material will be easier to locate. As a result, patron's information needs will be met and circulation of these materials will increase. She will prepare a final report on the weeding program which will include a list of books to be removed from the collection and recommendations of books to be added. Two reviews for each recommended acquisition recommendations will be included in the report. The goal of this project is to increase use of the children's space science collection. Evaluation of the project includes the following:

 

  Book List & Bibliography

 

 

 

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