Alice in InfoLand

As budgets shrink, costs increase, and formats proliferate, it becomes increasingly imperative that teacher-librarians be able to justify every purchase order and discard decision.  No matter what a student brings home (whether physically or via a cyber-link) from the LMC, the TL should be prepared to defend the selection — and thus recommendation — of that particular resource, according to the following criteria:

CONTENT:  Is this material appropriate for the age, emotional development, ability levels, learning styles, and social development of the students in *this* school, at *this* time?  
Keep in mind that we are being paid to provide relevant resources, not administer an archive.  One particular middle school’s book collection had some glaring gaps as well as aging artifacts – the  building had been a Junior/Senior (gr. 7-12) high for many years; the first TLs must have had subscriptions to the Literary Guild and Book of the Month clubs for the teachers… . and nothing had ever been weeded! 
Content concerns are especially important if you are posting resource links on a LMC  webpage. Have you carefully checked the age-appropriateness and relevancy of those URL’s, AND posted a disclaimer on your website, just in case?  While AncientGreece.com was a treasure-trove for our World History classes; AncientRome.com was definitely NOT useful historical information, unless you’re into orgies.

CURRICULAR CORRELATION:  Does this material complement, enrich, and extend the educational goals, philosophies, and curriculum of the school and the district?   Do you know what new topics are being covered in your classrooms, and do you have materials to support those topics?  Are you communicating with your teachers about current and future resource requirements?
Don’t wait for the teachers to tell you what they will need: sometimes they haven’t had time to think that far ahead.  Last year my 7th grade Social Studies teachers piloted a new inquiry-based curriculum that started out the same way as the old one, but then branched into totally new areas of study.  Because the teachers were often (literally) only one chapter ahead of their students, we (teachers and TL) didn’t realize that the final units covered topics we didn’t have materials for… until after I’d sent in my last purchase order for the year !  In this case, we couldn’t possibly have survived without heavy use of online resources, but it was a mad scramble for a while.

COMMUNITY:  Does the material meet accepted evaluation standards for this genre or format, and provide / present diverse points of view as represented in our pluralistic society?  We owe it to our kids to prepare them for the big world out there, not just the familiarities of home. 
LMCs are not bookstores with stock geared toward a fast profit; we can’t afford to purchase every passing fad.  Always be able —and prepared — to justify your selections according to ‘authoritative’ criteria and Board policy, since that’s public funds you’re using.  You (not just the school office) need to have easily-accessible copies of the official selection policies and guidelines adopted by your Board of Education.  These guidelines are the official documentation that will serve to:

• define the procedures and criteria for selection, for periodic re-evaluation of materials, and for handling  requests for reconsideration of materials.
• identify the responsibilities of the personnel who will participate in the selection/evaluation process.
• establish the only legal basis for selection and removal of materials from the collection, and
• provide the process for periodic review and revision of the policy.

COST and CONTAINER:  Can the price of this material  — in this format — be justified, according to its probable or continued use in the school, or projected circulation? 
When you’ve got to account for every penny, the *actual* cost — as opposed to the initial purchase price —  becomes a major consideration factor.  How will the resource be used?  How long will it continue to be useful?  Will it require any additional expense for upkeep?  Can you afford an expensive reference book if it will only be used once a year? Will this title be so popular that a hard-cover binding will better survive constant circulation, or is it a title whose purchase could be delayed until it’s available in paperback?  If all your classrooms have internet access, are the online database services you purchase available throughout the building (or even the community), not just within the actual walls of the LMC ?   Do you need to keep subscribing all those magazines, now that so many full-text articles are available online?    

Finally, remember the definition of
There is a reason why weeding is both a gardening and a LMC  term: both require care, attention, nourishment, and sometimes ruthless decisions. 
Your collection should be a living garden, blooming through a constant process of preparation, planting, and pruning;  every blossom should please the senses.

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COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS
by Alice H. Yucht
Originally published in Teacher-Librarian, December 2000.
updated 2/23/05