Collections

Introduction

I’ve had opportunities to work with several aspects of collection maintenance and development.  At Milwaukee Public Library, I manage several adult collections.  Prior to that, I was involved with weeding, ordering, and processing for teen and children’s collections.   In my coursework I examined collection development policies and selected a core collection for a special library.  In addition, I write professional reviews to stay engaged with the newest literature and help others with their collection management.

Selector, Milwaukee Public Library
September 2010 – present

Competencies demonstrated:

• Builds and maintains a collection of resources in many formats based on a determination of community needs
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the library’s collection (subject ranges, age, size,level, strengths and shortcomings) and applies the knowledge to the decision-making process
• Demonstrates broad knowledge of authors, literature and publishers
• Consults a wide variety of sources and connects with other professionals to stay informed about new materials, resources and technologies, and their potential to deliver improved services or reach new target audiences
• Pursues a variety of information sources, including popular media, to keep current on topics relevant to library users
• Strives to build a collection that is diverse, current and relevant, one that reflects the ethnic diversity of the community and promotes cross-cultural understanding
• Assesses and responds to the community’s changing needs and interests to inform the ongoing development of the collection
• Understands and employs basic budget and finance concepts

I have worked with a variety of popular and heavily used collections, for adults, teens, and children.  Currently,  I order  YA and children’s paperbacks in English and Spanish for a busy residential branch.  I also weed, replace, and maintain the children’s and YA collections.  Previously, I  oversaw duplicates and replacements for media for the large downtown children’s room.  I have maintained the Central library’s collection on world travel, general history, and geography; European history and travel; and our special collection of local and world maps.  Using circulation statistics, reviews, articles, patron suggestions, and many other tools, I select, weed, and evaluate items for our collections.  I primarily use B&T TitleSource for adult titles and BWI TitleTales for children.

Library Journal, Reviewer

Competencies demonstrated:

• Evaluates resources to assure their quality, pertinence, and inclusiveness
• Seeks opportunities to apply new knowledge and to share best practices, research and experiences with colleagues
• Hones critical thinking skills

I review nonfiction for Library Journal. (Search the site for “Barbakoff” for full list and text.)  Previously, I reviewed childrens’ fiction for the Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children’s Media. (See below.)  I also have contributed reviews and booklists to a variety of readers’ blogs, which you can find on my Readers’ Advisory page.

Anya’s Ghost Recataloging, Milwaukee Public Library
August 2011

Competencies demonstrated:

• Establishes and applies selection and evaluation criteria to build a collection of high quality and relevant resources
• Determines criteria for evaluating the format, access and presentation aspects of resources to inform selections appropriate to a range of ages and developmental stages
• Follows trends in traditional and digital publishing and gathers best practices of similar
  institutions
• Consults a variety of review sources, in combination with informed judgment and knowledge of
  the community, to evaluate materials
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the library’s collection (subject ranges, age, size, level, strengths and shortcomings) and applies the knowledge to the decision-making process
• Demonstrates broad knowledge of authors, literature and publishers
• Understands and acts in accordance with the basic values and ethics of library service

 I wanted to highlight this experience because it’s an important example of how collection management affects intellectual freedom.  A fantastic graphic novel for teens was placed in the adult section, where teens would be unlikely to come across it unless they sought it out specifically.  I wanted to make sure that teens had maximum access to this title, which deals in a very meaningful and engaging way with issues of identity, self-acceptance, and friendship.

This graphic novel was originally shelved in with adult materials in all 13 MPL locations.  I had read multiple reviews, however, that made clear it was likely to appeal strongly to teens.  I read through my branch copy, and realized it was an incredible resource for teens – gripping, excellently written and drawn, and with a high-school protagonist coping with age-relevant themes like fitting in, popularity, new romantic relationships, and figuring out your identity.  The horror aspects were less graphic or disturbing than many of our existing YA graphic novels, and many other nearby libraries have it in YA.

I contacted the systemwide selectors for teen and adult graphic novels, made my argument, and we all agreed to move the title to the teen section.

Teen Programming Directed Fieldwork, Sno-Isle Libraries
Competencies demonstrated:

• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the library’s collection (subject ranges, age, size, level, strengths and shortcomings) and applies the knowledge to the decision-making process
• Develops policies for weeding the collection

To make more space for teen fiction and graphic novels, I am weeding and shifting adult paperbacks to a smaller set of shelves further from the teen section.  The cleared space will double our shelving for teen fiction.  I began with only one parameter: weeding for physical condition.  However, as I went I became very well acquainted with the collection and began to develop more specific criteria.  Read about my weeding project by clicking on the screenshot of my blog.

Children’s Services Directed Fieldwork, Seattle Public Library
Competencies demonstrated:

• Builds a collection designed to meet the needs and interests of children
• Maintains the quality and relevance of the collection through ongoing evaluation of the currency and physical condition, and recommends materials for acquisition or deselection

Discarded folktales

I weeded the children’s folk and fairytale section at the Northeast branch.  The process primarily included weeding for condition, circulation, and relevance.  During this fieldwork, I also assisted in the selection of children’s literature and board books.  Read more about this process at the blog I maintained about my experience!

Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children’s Media (PSC), Teen Book Reviewer
Competencies demonstrated:

• Evaluates resources to assure their quality, pertinence, and inclusiveness
• Evaluates resources to inform selections appropriate to a range of ages and developmental stages

I assign a grade level and an overall quality rating to each book I receive, as well as write a short review which will help librarians decide if the book is appropriate for his or her collection.  Since teen books can appeal to a wide age range, 5th grade and up, readers may be at very different developmental stages.   Therefore, while I always want to let librarians know whether or not a book is well-written, original, and engaging, I also alert them to any content which may be considered less appropriate for younger readers.

             

Click an image to see the published page with my review for that book.

Coursework: LIS 522, Collection Development
Competencies demonstrated:

• Builds and maintains a collection of resources in many formats based on a determination of community needs
• Establishes and applies selection and evaluation criteria to build a collection
  of high quality and relevant resources
• Understands the acquisition and collection development processes and policies for the library
• Identifies and applies objective standards to evaluate the content of resources for accuracy
  and authority, and identifies any bias or point of view
• Selects and evaluates resources to assure their quality, pertinence, authenticity and inclusiveness

This was an in-depth project to develop a basic collection of 10-15 “must have” items for a local private library specializing in the construction and history of traditional wooden boats.  I assessed the needs of the user community and the library’s collection policy, used review sources such as Guide to Reference, Books in Print, and Booklist to find resources which met those needs in the most appropriate formats, and performed my own evaluation of the items selected.