Library Collection Development Guidelines

Intent

To provide a range of resources and services to meet the library and information needs of the community served.

Scope

These guidelines apply to all Council staff and Council contractors and suppliers involved in the development, acquisition, maintenance and deselection of library materials for the collection.

PROVISIONS

Introduction

The collection development guidelines have been developed to ensure a variety of material and formats are provided to reflect the diverse needs of the Cairns community.  Cairns Libraries provides a library service to all of Cairns’ diverse community.  Resources, program and service delivery is extended to everyone in the community who lives, works, studies or visits the Council area.  Detailed information regarding the community profile of Cairns can be found on the Cairns Regional Council website at Cairns Regional Council facts.  To ensure we are meeting the demand from borrowers for collections, we analyse statistical information, conduct surveys and encourage community feedback.

Collection development is undertaken in line with State Library of Queensland Library Collections Standards.

Purpose of Guidelines

These collection development guidelines document the strategies for developing and managing the collection held in at Cairns Libraries.  

The guidelines are designed to provide reasons why Cairns Libraries collects particular material and what should be included in the collection.  All selected material should fulfil the selection guidelines and any specific criteria required for special collections.

The Guidelines are a useful tool to:

• Set uniform direction for the collection, including subject profiles, depth of coverage and resource formats.
• Provide an opportunity for coordinating the collection with programs and services to serve the needs of the library team and community.
• Support the planning of library goals and objectives, identifying short and long term needs of customers and establishing priorities for allocating funds.
• Ensure Cairns Libraries commits to serving all sections of the community.
• Ensure objectivity and professionalism drives the selection and weeding process.
• Serves as an essential tool for induction, reference and on-going staff training.
• Provide a framework for managing member requests for new material, feedback about items and collection management.

The Collection Development Guidelines support and enact the “Statement on free access to information” “Statement on free access to information” developed by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

Principles

We will purchase items that our members want

We respond to community demand by focusing our purchasing on new and popular adult fiction and non-fiction, picture books, junior fiction, audio-visual, online and digital material.

Item turnover, member suggestions and holds levels are monitored closely, triggering purchase of new items and additional copies of high demand items.In addition to user demand, selections based on detailed specifications, provide depth to the existing collections.

We will provide a collection which reflects the spectrum of community viewpoints.

Cairns Libraries has a right and a duty to include in the collection a representative selection of materials which meet selection criteria on topics of interest to its readers, including items covering controversial subjects providing they are not prohibited by law.  Cairns Libraries is guided by relevant legislation including the Australian Classification Board’s guidelines Cairns Libraries supports and appreciates each individual library user’s right to access information though the content may be controversial or unacceptable to others.

Parents and caregivers are responsible for their children’s use of the library.

Materials for children and young people are intended to broaden their vision and widen their interest, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement their educational needs and stimulate their love for literature and reading.  While the library takes every care in allocating resources to appropriate areas of the library, the reading and viewing activities of children and young people under 18 are the responsibility of their parents or care-givers who can guide the selection of appropriate materials in overseeing their own children’s development.

We provide informational, recreational and cultural materials in the media of the day.

Online resources are an integral part of the library’s collection.  Providing access to resources in a wide variety of formats ensures access for persons of all ages and abilities.  eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMovies will continue to grow and Cairns Libraries advocates for access to new and popular materials relevant to the community and aligned with its collection planning and budget.

Budget

The State Library of Queensland provides a Public Library Grant to local governments to support the development of high quality library services guided by VISION 2017 to meet the diverse needs of the whole community.  Material selection occurs within the budgeting framework of Cairns Regional Council.

Censorship

The library endeavours to provide an unbiased source of knowledge, information and ideas through a comprehensive and balanced collection – both in print and online – while responding to a broad range of community needs.  The collection includes material in print, audio-visual and digital formats.  The library service is obligated to comply with decisions made under State and Federal law.  Council is therefore not a censoring body.  Material will not be rejected or removed from the library collection solely on the basis of doctrinal disapproval, or because of concerns that children may access some materials intended for adult use.  Parents or guardians are responsible for the suitability of material perused or borrowed by their child. The Collection Development Guidelines supports and enacts the Statement on Free Access to Information developed by the Australian Library and Information Association.

Collection Management

Management of the collection is informed by the:

• Australia Librarian and Information Association “ALIA Guidelines, Standards and Outcome Measures for Australian Public Libraries”.
• Australia Librarian and Information Association “ALIA Statement on free access to information 2015”.
• State Library of Queensland “Queensland Public Library Standards and Guidelines, Library Collection Standards”.

What are our Collections?

Non-fiction

This collection includes material across a wide range of subjects, interest levels and formats (including digital) with a focus on up-to-date information at the general interest level. Lifelong learning is supported by this collection.  Specific text books required for a course of study are viewed as the responsibility of individuals or educational institutions.  Cairns Libraries may provide some recommended resources where these are the best authority available on the subject, or where they provide information not otherwise available. Every effort will be made to fill any obvious or reported gaps in the collection.

Fiction

Fiction books are provided for adults, youth and children across a variety of genres in print, eBook and eAudio formats.  This collections appeals to a broad cross section of the community and includes graphic novels, picture books and items in large print for ease of accessibility.  

Paperback, when available, is the preferred format however hardback is also purchased.

Some titles are procured by standing order or profiling to ensure timely supply to members.

Locally authored fiction published material will be included in this collection.

Film

The film collection provides a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles for all ages, available on DVD or digitally.  The collection includes television series, movies, documentaries and items with instruction and educational content.  DVD materials are selected in accordance with ratings classified by the Classification Board and Classification Review Board of Australia.

Large Print

Large Print material has a typeface larger than standard print. This collection includes a range of large print books in fiction and non-fiction including adult, junior, and young adult titles.  While the collection particularly supports people who have a visual disability, it is a popular collection for a variety of customers.  Market availability of large print limits the collection to the English language. Formats include hard and soft back.

Local Authors

Local authors are defined as writers who currently reside or have spent a significant part of their lives in the Cairns region or the Far North Queensland region.  Cairns Libraries recognises the literary efforts of local authors by including their works in its collections.  These works however, must meet the library service’s selection criteria as detailed in these guidelines.

Audio

This collection contains fiction and non-fiction titles read aloud using CDs, MP3, Playaway and eAudio format.  The talking books are aimed at all customers including those with hearing disabilities.

Stack

Stack Items of low use or deteriorating physical condition that are considered to be of significant historic, cultural or literary value to the collection are transferred to Stack.  Items in the Stack collection are still available for loan, however, the collection is not directly accessible to the public.  Stack items may be reserved via the WebOPAC.  This collection is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to meet the criteria for inclusion.

Genealogy

A collection of genealogy resources including printed material, magazines, microfilm and microfiche are available in the genealogy collection.  Subscription based digital resources such as Ancestry and Findmypast are also included in this collection and can be accessed at all libraries.  The focus is on local and Queensland content however interstate and overseas material is also collected. The collection is not available for loan.

Reference

The print Reference collection consists of “Not for Loan” material covering a broad range of subjects.  The focus of the collection is to provide information for ready reference enquiries as well as assistance with more in-depth research topics.  Currency and quality of material are important factors.

Regional Resource

Cairns Libraries provides access to a continuously developing library collection which documents, preserves and presents the historical and contemporary development of the Cairns local government region.  The emphasis of the collection is generally on published records and information of local value relating to the history, heritage, culture, development, environment and society of the Cairns region.

The collection is not available for loan.

Digital Resources

The digital collection provides access to a selection of eResources that support the information and recreational needs of the community.  Resources cater for children and adults of all ages.

The collection includes eAudio books, eBooks, eMagazines, digital newspapers, online streamed films and other online resources for education, recreation or research purposes.

Material is selected according to design and content, anticipated demand, relevance to community, accessibility, technical requirements, usage statistics and cost benefits including cost comparisons to physical items.

Newspapers

The newspaper collection provides information about indigenous, local, national and overseas current events and issues to support the interests of the local community.  Printed newspapers are for use in the library only.  Copies of the Cairns Post and the Weekend Post are available on microfilm and made available as a local history resource.

Magazines

The magazine collection provides a broad subject coverage as well as popular topics and current trends.  Magazines can be accessed in print or digital formats.  Annual subscriptions are assessed considering usage data, reputation of the title, information needs, special interests and relevance to the local community.  Magazines cater for all ages.  Selection is enhanced through member feedback.  Retention periods are determined at the discretion of the Support Services Team Leader.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria are used to determine whether items are purchased.  Their importance and application may vary from one collection to another.

• Relevance and appeal to the community.
• Authority and reputation of author, publisher or illustrator.
• Currency and accuracy of content.
• Suitability of format for loans and library storage.
• Quality of presentation.
• Local interest.
• Cost.
• Date of publication and availability.
• Existing subject coverage in the collection.

Non Inclusion

While the library aims to provide a well-rounded collection, in a variety of formats it aims not to duplicate material accessible elsewhere.  As such the following material is generally not purchased for the library collection:

• Textbooks prescribed for study or items of a highly technical or specialised nature may be included in the collection where they are of general interest or value to the community and they are the most appropriate materials available.  Textbooks for formal courses of study will not be included in the collection.
• Materials prohibited by law will not be considered for inclusion in the collection.  Cairns Libraries is obliged to comply with decisions made under lawful federal or state prohibition, for example by the Classification Board.
• Requested material that is out of date, too expensive, published in an unsuitable format or where there are suitable alternative titles in stock on the subject.
• Items that are fragile or ephemeral items that are not robust enough for loan.

Customer Requests

Customer requests will be considered for purchase where possible if the title:

• Fits the criteria of the collection development guidelines.
• Is in print, still popular or in high demand incl. part of a series.
• Is in print and published in the last two years.
• Is a classic work of literature.
• Contains information that is not dated.

Interlibrary Loans

Requirements outside the scope of Cairns Libraries Collection Development Guidelines and/or where purchase is not possible, Interlibrary loans may be requested.

Procurement Guidelines

Library material is selected within the budgetary framework of the Cairns Libraries and procured in accordance with Council’s Procurement Policy.

The Support & eServices Team Leader is responsible for the overall development and maintenance of the collections together with support from a team of librarians.  Cairns Libraries will ensure suppliers provide a range of material using the following methods:

Profiles

Items are ordered pre-publication according to detailed specifications provided to the supplier to support anticipated demand and ensure timely delivery of material.

Standing orders

Lists provided to suppliers specifying the minimum number of copies of new published titles, which are automatically purchased.

Shelf ready

Material arriving shelf ready are fully catalogued and processed by external providers to improve purchase to shelf timelines.  Detailed specifications are supplied to providers to maintain quality control.  The extension of shelf ready services will continue to be investigated in accordance with the needs and direction of Cairns Libraries.

Donations

Donated material is accepted on the understanding that Cairns Libraries may dispose of any items which fail to meet the criteria for addition to the collection, and once in the collection, may be discarded at a later date in accordance with on-going collection management processes. As a general rule the following items are not accepted as donations:

• Periodicals.
• Textbooks.
• Encyclopaedias
• DVDs for regions outside Australia
• Obsolete or out-dated formats (e.g. cassettes and videos).

Collection Management

The library collection needs continuous evaluation in order to keep on target with the library’s goal to provide materials to meet community needs.  Statistical tools such as Collection HQ, circulation and management reports and customer requests are used to determine how the collection is being used and indicate the trends that respond to member and community needs.

Evaluation

Standing orders, profiles and shelf ready acquisitions are reviewed annually to ensure that selections are still relevant to the community and collections.  Evaluation is on-going throughout the year to identify and fill collection gaps and ensure a balanced collection.

Assessment

All materials are assessed on their physical condition, currency and usage.  Items with high usage and poor physical condition may be replaced, while items with low usage will be weeded from the collection.  Weeding of all collections is undertaken in line with weeding guidelines.  The on-going viability of collections and formats are also regularly assessed against their availability, suitability and relevance.

Collection balancing

Collection balancing is regularly undertaken to ensure an even distribution of stock.  This prevents large portions of the collection accumulating in one library and ensures material is available to all customers.

Weeding

Weeding is the term used for the process to withdraw an item from the collection.  The following criteria are utilised when weeding.  It is not expected that items will meet all criteria.

• The information, and therefore the item, is out of date.
• The item is damaged beyond repair or the cost of the repair is beyond the value of the item.
• More recent editions are available.
• The item is not in an acceptable condition (i.e. yellowing pages, cut outs, scribble and generally unattractive in appearance).
• Duplicates of the item are on the shelf and not circulating sufficiently.
• The item has not been recently or regularly borrowed.
• The item is part of a series that has been irregularly used.
• The item is well used and in a condition that warrants replacement.

Withdrawn items

Withdrawn items are transferred to book sale or donations to community groups.  Items that are not suitable for re-sale, due to physical damage or out-dated content are recycled wherever possible and otherwise discarded.