Collection Management for Libraries

New England Libraries Interview questions for weeding: Interview with Sally 1. Who is responsible for weeding the collection and how is the collection divided? Adult collection, Non-Fiction and Reference – Head of Reference and Technical Services Adult collection, Fiction and Audio Visual – Assistant Director/Head of Circulation YA collection – Assistant Director/Head of Circulation Children’s collection – Assistant Director/Head of Circulation Follow up: Is there anyone who assists in bring books to your attention for consideration? The collection is divided to assign staff to bring to items their supervisor’s attention for consideration. 2. Is there a set schedule for weeding? One afternoon a week is dedicated to look at material pulled for consideration. This works well and is a continual process.   3. Do you have a method that you use, like CREW? No, we do not use a specific method. 4. What is your criteria for weeding? Material is weed...

New England Libraries Interview questions for weeding: Interview with Sylvie 1. Who is responsible for weeding the collection and how is the collection divided?   Adult collection – Adult Services/reference librarian YA collection – YA Librarian Children’s collection – Children’s librarian Video games – YA Librarian These are the major divisions. There are a few smaller collections that certain staff members who have an interest or expertise in that help the development and weeding. Follow up: Is there anyone who assists in bring books to your attention for consideration? Anyone on staff can recommend a book or item for weeding based on condition, content or other reasons. 2. Is there a set schedule for weeding? We have just developed a weeding schedule and have started implementation. The entire collection is covered over a 12-month period. 3. Do you have a method that you use, like CREW? We have adapted CREW to our collection. So, this is loo...

My interview was with Librarian A, a librarian in a very small town. They do not have an official collections policy-online or in person, so I thought it would be interesting to interview a librarian in such a unique position would be interesting. For full disclosure, I have volunteered at the library before and assisted with weeding in their library. This interview was conducted over the phone, as the library itself is located three hours away from where I live currently. I chose Librarian A to speak to due to the unique library that she runs. She is the librarian for a town of about 600 people. The library itself is just a singular room in an already small building that has the courthouse, police station, and DVM, truly a one-stop shop. Once on the phone we chatted about the town and the new things that were happening, a coffee shop had just opened up- the first new business in town in a few years, and there was a new pastor for one of the four churches. Once we got down to busine...

Librarian #2- Librarian J My second interview was with Librarian J, a youth service library in a public library. Librarian J is a brand-new librarian. She graduated last December from a graduate program. She was interning at this library and was hired into the same role she was interning in. She had really enjoyed the intern position, and this was exactly the role she wanted, so it worked out perfectly for her with the timing. It was great having a new librarian’s input since that is what I will be once I find a position. The library Librarian J works at agreed to have her come on as an intern as there was only a children’s librarian, but not a teen/youth librarian and thought she could help enhance their services for that population. She was supervised by the library director and assisted by the children’s services librarian. Therefore, she felt like she had a lot of freedom to not be restricted in her duties. She decided to complete her first major weedi...

Librarian #1- C My first interview was with Librarian C, an adult services librarian at a public library. Librarian C has been working in the library for over 13 years and has been in this role for seven years. Librarian C is constantly assessing the adult collection for deselection and replacement. She utilizes the library’s system to find out usage for items, has the check in desk assess for physical damage, and considers the library’s space to help her assess weeding needs. She mentioned that for the adult patrons, the most used items are the e-book collection, but for physical items, the large print collection is checked out most often. While she considers this a year-long project, most of the spring and summer is spent collecting information and the winter is spent doing the actual weeding. This is because she is busier in the summer months with programming and summer reading projects, she struggles to find enough time to consider weeding. Librarian C sa...

Interview With a Librarian - Librarian P As I head up the steps to the University library, the scene is picturesque. Leaves are swirling, there's a chill in the air, it's the perfect sort of day to visit an old library. The steps leading up the building swirl in that grand southern lady fashion reminiscent of Gone With the Wind . I head for the lower door because I see a key card entry on the upper door and I don't have that. Inside things look way more modern. I decide to head upstairs when I see only what looks like students studying in cozy lounge. Upstairs is more bare and less cozy. It looks like a house that is in the process of moving. A woman sees my confused face and asks how she can help me. I tell her that I'm looking for Librarian P. "You must be Jillian." I nod. She happily introduces herself as Librarian P and beckons me down a hallway. We enter her office and she apologizes for the current state as she clears a chair to offer me. The librar...

Interview With a Librarian - Librarian M Disclaimer: As stated in my post about prepping for this interview, I am an employee of my local library system and Librarian M has previously been my direct supervisor and my head of branch on two separate occasions. In June 2016 until her transfer in August of that year, and again in April 2018 up until she moved to Head of Collection Development in July. I walk into the Tech Services Department and stick my head into the first office door. Librarian M beckons me in and I laugh seeing her space heater on the floor. It finally touched below 60 that morning and felt like fall for the first time. “You people and your heaters!” Librarian M laughs back and tells me that she gets cold. I settle into the other chair in the room and open by asking how long has Librarian M been a librarian. She thinks about it and states that she became a public librarian in January 1993. Comparing it to my own age, I surmise that she’s been at it for 26 years....

Part of this project is interviewing Librarians about their institution's weeding policies in relation to collection development. I was able to arrange two interviews.One will be with Librarian M, head of collections for my local library system. The other will be with Librarian P, the Library Manager at a local university. I’ll reiterate this at the top of my interview with Librarian M, but for the sake of objectivity and full disclosure: I am an employee of my local library system and have worked under Librarian M before. She was my branch manager when I transferred to S. Branch Library in June 2016, and was the manager of W. library when I transferred back to work on the Reference Department in April 2018. She was the branch manager and directly above my supervisor, the head of reference. We’re cool. We’re friends in Pokemon Go, and she’s a reference on my resume. Once my interviews were scheduled, I had to move on to the next step. What do I ask these super helpful Library ...