Selection in a Shifting Environment

1
Selection in a Shifting
Environment

• A presentation
• by Rand Bellavia
• for the 2006 WNY/O ACRL
• Fall Conference

2
Collection Development

• The process of meeting the information needs of
  the people in a timely and economic manner.
  -- G. Edward Evans

3
Collection Development Flow
Needs Assessment
Collection Development Policy
Collection Assessment
Weeding
Selection
Acquisitions
4
Propaganda

• Rethinking AIDS Prevention
• Publishers Catalog Forceful, but controversial,
  arguments for faith-based initiatives General
  readers graduate students and above. Choice
• Quote from Actual Choice Review Readers should
  be cautioned that the author clearly cherry-picks
  references in his forceful, but controversial,
  arguments for faith-based initiatives. Summing
  Up Optional. General readers graduate students
  and above.

5
Collection Development Flow
Needs Assessment
Collection Development Policy
Collection Assessment
Weeding
Selection
Acquisitions
6
Factors Effecting Collection Development

• Time
• Money
• Ignorance

7
Adaptation to Change

• The Internet / Digital Age
• Quality and quantity of tools
• Quality and quantity of formats
• Public has access to the brakes

8
Adaptation vs. Philosophy

• If you know what you are doing, and why you are
  doing it, changes in how you do it are less
  frightening

9
Why does adaptation seem so huge and difficult a
problem?

• More options means more questions
• Costs go up / budgets go down
• Knowledge is power

10
Selection The Problem

• Quality vs. Demand
• What are the issues?
• Is there an answer?

11
A Possible Solution

• Determine demand on a subject or format level
  only
• Meet general subject or format demands with
  quality title and author selections
• In this way, a knowledgeable selector can meet
  demand while providing quality

12
There are signs that the world is speedily coming
to an end Bribery and corruption are common.
Children no longer obey their parents, and
everyone is writing a book.

• -- from Assyrian tablet, 2800 B.C.E.