SEVIER COUNTY JUVENILE
FACILITY
IS560
Information Agency & Collection Variables
And
Collection Evaluation
APRIL 9, 2014
ANJANAE BRUELAND
IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
3.5 INFORMATION AGENCY AND COLLECTION VARIABLES
Each of the following variables should be identified as either facilitating or inhibiting.
(1) Physical accessibility, and attractiveness of the place where the collection will be housed and
used. [Skip if developing collections likely to be visited or used off-site]
This point will be skip as directed due to the collection being housed at the Sevier County Juvenile Facility.
(2) Evaluate the ease in identifying (intellectual access) what is held in your collection and how to
find it. In a library, you would discuss the quality and utility of the catalog or similar. [Skip if
developing a new collection.
The collection is a printed list, in alphabetical order by title, of all books in the collection.
(3) Is available space an asset or liability for collection development? Will there be enough physical
or virtual space to house your collection after it is developed? Ease in physically retrieving
particular items (physical access) from your collection. [Skip if new collection or one used off site].
This point will be skip as directed due to the collection being housed at the Sevier County Juvenile Facility.
(4) Is local access to information technology, including hardware, software and net access, an asset
or liability for collection development? For your development in particular?
Access to information technology, in any form, is not a hindrance for this collection. As this is a correctional
facility, technology is only available through the classroom and under supervision. The databases on offer
through the library will be offered to the teachers for the students to use during classes. All hardware, software
and net access are provided by either the school board and/or the facility and is considered an asset.
(5) How much money is available for collection development and for hardware/software needed to
provide access to your collection? For server collections, is hardware, software, or connectivity
needed and at what cost? How much money would be allocated and/or spent to support of your
collection in a typical year? What is the likely future outlook for collection development funding?
Note that money figures may be reasonable estimates.
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
There is no funds budgeted or allocated from either the Sevier County Public Library System (SCPLS) or the
Juvenile Facility. The Townsend Press has donated 25 titles that fit within the guidelines of the collection and
that are often well received in other juvenile facilities. The King Family Library Friends of the Library
(KFLFOL) group has donated $500 for the updating and expanding of the collection. Every year SCPLS will
contact the facility asking for titles needed, if these titles are available from donations they will be covered and
sent to the collection. After this year, there are no funds for maintaining the collection. While this may sound
bleak, SCPLS plans to approach the KFLFOL group every other year to request funds for bringing the
collection in line with the current local school reading requirements and recommendations. The author believes
there will be enough community support to assist in keeping this collection current and maintained.
(6) Does an existing policy guide collection development? How would you characterize it? Might
the policy affect your collection development?
There is currently no formal collection policy for the facility’s collection. The un-written guidelines are that all
books must be paperback, realistic, inspirational, and/or part of the local school requirements for reading via
either required / recommended / summer / or accelerated reader lists. These guidelines came into being, due to
the lack of monitoring of the materials. In other words, the on duty staff may not catch that the juvenile in care
is currently being weaned from an addiction, be bipolar and a fantasy story may create a situation (Layman,
2014). This means, at this time, series like Twilight, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson are not able to be
included. These is quite a limitation as these series have been effective in creating readers.
(7) Summarize the local procedures used to select and add items. Who is involved in the selection
process? Which selection criteria carry the most weight? How are items selected? How might
these procedures impact your development? Briefly characterize the selection resources (tools)
available to those who develop collections. How might these variables impact particular
development?
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
The selection process is a collaborative effort between the facility, local middle and high schools, and the
library. The facility is providing a current list of the collection, books wanted and books needing replacement.
The local schools have provided reading lists and the SCPLS Director and System Business Coordinator are
compiling the information, then purchasing and processing the items. Currently the Renaissance Learning Quiz
Search webpage (2014) is being used so that every book suggested will have the support of an accelerated
reader quiz. If all books requested have been supplied and space and funds remain, the facility has requested
item representation in all reading levels and some bilingual.
(8) To what degree is agency management involved in and enthusiastic about collection
development? About your collection development?
The two agencies involved in the development of this collection are enthusiastic and supportive in every way.
Neither has funds that can be allocated to this collection. However, the limited space available for the
collection make the necessary funds for maintaining and updating minimal. It will mainly be through advocacy
of local civic organizations and donations that this collection is updated and maintained. This is a wonderful
opportunity for the community to make a small contribution that will have a far-reaching impact.
(9) Your summary conclusion: Which variables seem most likely to facilitate your collection
development?
This is a ‘feel good’ collection. In this instance the limited space actually facilitates the collection by making
maintenance and currency an easily achievable task. This is a collection that local civic organization will be
able to see a small contribution go very far. It is not without its struggles. The collection needs to be
surrounded by individuals who want to keep it current and make it a well-used resource at the facility.
Currently, this is the case. The partnership between SCPLS and the facility is one way to ensure that the
collection is not forgotten.
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
3.6 COLLECTION EVALUATION
Please skip this section with a brief explanation if developing a new collection.
(1) Essential question: To what degree does the existing collection meet the needs and wants you
have identified? A variety of measures and approaches may be used. The greater the variety, the
more likely that results will be valid and reliable.
The collection meets the needs for providing reading materials that are being covered in local schools while the
juvenile is unable to go to school and is in the care of the facility. Since the books selected for the collection are
the ones that the schools provide on reading lists this makes the degree of success high. The two main areas to
expand on, if space and funds allow are: at least one item at every reading level and some bilingual items.
(2) Delimit the existing collection. Count the number of items available on your topic by format. If
dealing with tangible items, transform these numbers into approximate “size per” numbers using
the number of likely users from your community analysis. For example the collection holds one
hard copy graphic novel for every three users. Briefly add a “so what” conclusion to this number.
Skip “size pers” if developing a collection where access to several users at once is not an issue.
The facility has a maximum of 22 beds, so at any one time there will be a maximum of 22 users of the
collection.
Due to the limited space, there will only be one copy of each item. It is estimated that at the end of
the project the newly updated and expanded collection will house approximately 200 to 250 paperback books.
SCPLS will have the collections list so that if a book is donated and meets the criteria (paperback, in good
condition, on the collections list) it can be pulled aside for a replacement copy. There is currently no form of
transaction record to show which books are read the most. Wear and tear are generally the main signs of being
read. While this may be of interest for SCPLS, it is unlikely that the facility staff will see the benefit or need to
record or manage these transactions. If the facility is at capacity then the collection can offer the reader a
minimum of 9 and maximum of 11 mutually exclusive choices. On days of lower occupancy the number
increases. It would be helpful if the facility staff could write down on a clipboard every time a book is
requested but currently being read by another.
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
(3) Characterize the existing collection:
Emphasis -- which topic aspects receive the most attention? This information is not formal collected.
Though staff observation is was suggested that the Tim LaHaye Left Behind and Left Behind for Kids Series are
well read.
Difficulty -- how easy or difficult is the intellectual content for the likely audience? It has been
requested that there be at least one item at every reading level in the collection. Due to space limitations and the
require of having the local school reading lists, the number of items for each reading level will not be equal.
The lower grade reading levels and the bilingual item choices will not offer the variety of choices.
Special features--how many items contain helpful special features? This collection is supported by
the facility teachers and the accelerated reading quizzes.
Currency--how many items were issued within the last year? The last five years? Currency for this
collection is defined as having the reading lists that the local schools are using in this school year.
Format--how many items are available in various formats? Any appropriate formats missing?
Paperbacks are the only suitable format for this collection.
(4) Weeds and weeding or de-selection:
Identify an appropriate time period to measure collection use. Then, use transaction records,
observation or whatever to identify items not used. What common traits do these shelf sitters
share? If you lack access to use data, substitute your opinion. To what degree is the collection
being used?
Since the collection already existed and was unattended for an unknown period of time, all items will need to be
reviewed. Staff observation of the items and wear and tear of the items have been the only methods employed
to gather any kind of impression as to the circulation of the collection. These are perhaps not true indicators of
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
usage as all the books have been donated to this point and it would not be possible to confirm what the
condition the items showed up in. Because this collection is so closely tied to the local schools’ reading lists it
will be recommended that the facility release all books that: 1) are no longer on any of the reading lists and 2)
are in average condition. Average condition is defined as well-worn cover and colored pages, water marks, etc.
After this initial update SCPLS will review the collection every year to ensure it is in line with the local schools.
Every six months SCPLS will make contact with the facility to see what may need replacement or to meet any
requests. No measurement of use will be used with this collection as it is not a priority for the facility.
Items not useful because of level of treatment, language, lack of accuracy, and obsolescence should
be identified if available for physical examination or record examination. Items no longer useful
should be weeded even if they are being used. In some cases, where a variety of viewpoints need to
be represented in the collection, one may retain items that are inaccurate and/or dated. For items
that appear to be useful, but have not been used examine physical and intellectual access to see if
non-use is a function of access. Ideally, useful, usable items that are not used should be promoted
to make them more visible before considering discard. As appropriate, identify one or two
examples of items that might be promoted and of those that might be discarded.
Selection and de-selection of items rest solely with the Facility Director. SCPLS will make suggestions but it
will be the facility that will make final decisions on what is included and what is to be weeded from the
collection. Since much of the collection will be shaped by donations, items that are inspirational and real-life
will be promoted such as, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Items such as James and the Giant Peach due to
its fantastical events would most likely be discarded.
Identify which items in the collection are most popular so that you can select similar works.
Checking with circulation and collection staff [or similar in other agencies] often identifies
popular items. In libraries, “holds” are often a good clue. What would you look for in adding
popular items to the collection?
The facility is not concerned with ‘popular’ materials. SCPLS will make recommendations of current popular
titles but only if accelerated reader quizzes are available, and/or it is on one of the reading lists for the local
schools. The American Library Association’s Reluctant reader’s list will be a valuable resource for suggesting
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
books that may meet the collection requirements and bring popular titles up for consideration. Johnny Delgado,
Private Detective by Kevin Brooks and Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney are two examples from the
ALA list that would satisfy the accelerated reading quiz collection requirements.
Many information professionals use inclusion IN A STANDARD BEST LIST as an indication of quality,
utility, and accuracy. The list may be general covering several topics or a highly specialized
subject. Bowker Resources for College Libraries is a good example of a general best list. Identify
a selective or comprehensive "best list" for your collection. Remove from the list items clearly
irrelevant to local needs and wants. Match a sample from the list against local holdings and
produce a HOLDINGS PERCENTAGE. Compare items held with those available for use to produce an
AVAILABILITY PERCENTAGE. Multiply the holdings percentage by the availability percentage to
create a PERFORMANCE RATING. How well does the existing collection perform? What do these
measures say about collection quality?
Due to the agency, the location of the collection and its requirements, the above considerations do not apply
well. No form of measurement will be possible for these reasons as well. The collection will be considered a
‘success’ by the facility if when a book for school is needed it is part of the collection. The collection is shaped
by the input of the local schools so as long as this is a current reflection of what the schools are reading, the
facility will consider the collection performing well. Considerations outside of that, at least at this time, will
hold little value for the facility.
In some fields where currency is especially important [science and technology], and where
information cumulates, copyright or publication date may be a good proxy for currency and
accuracy. To what degree is the existing collection useful because it is reasonable current? Provide
two examples of not useful items with an explanation. Identify particular items for discard as
appropriate.
This will be important as we are able to add non-fiction items to the collection. For example, we would not
want to include a donation of a science themed book that lists Pluto as a planet. Other items that would need to
be de-selected from the collection would be Windows XP for Dummies, or a C++ book from 2007. SCPLS is
working on developing an assimilation packet as part of the collection that will leave with each juvenile. This
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
resource must be kept up to date to be its most effective in assisting the juvenile in making connections within
the community.
The final major weeding category consists of items which are not usable because of physical
condition. This includes broken links, digital files that do not download properly or are corrupt as
well as books or periodicals that have missing pages or similar should be divided into (1) those
that should be fixed or repaired and (2) those that should be discarded. Identify and briefly
discuss a few examples of items that are no longer useful or usable.
For this collection it will be the Director of the facility that makes the final decision to weed. A book would
have to fall apart or be missing pages or be considered to have had a negative effect on a juvenile to be removed
from the collection. SCPLS will perform repairs and replacements wherever possible. Director Layman (2014)
mentioned that both of the Tim LaHaye, Left Behind series are in need of discard, but will not be until
replacements are in hand.
Has weeding created a gap in your collection? Should this gap be filled? From the perspective of
the identified community wants and needs, identify the gaps and strengths of the existing
collection.
Weeding is unlikely to create gaps, any more than the limited space and the collection requirement will. At the
current moment, there are gaps in genres such as Science Fiction and Fantasy, in reading levels and in some of
the tougher teen topics such as drug use, abuse, etc. The Christian religion is heavily represented with only one
other spiritual option available. This is mainly due to the collections high dependence on donations.
The strengths of this collection is that while a juvenile is missing school, there is an opportunity to have what is
being missed available. The juveniles that have access to this collection as given an opportunity to step into
book and out of what may be a daunting experience. This collections strengths rest more in the intangible and
the possibilities it offers. The collection has a target audience that is in a life-altering position and a book from
this collection may make an impact that cannot be measured on paper.
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IS 560: Information Agency & Collection Variables, and Collection Evaluation
Anjanae Brueland
In a brief summary, describe and comment on the state of the collection.
The Sevier County Juvenile Facility collection is one dependent on donations from community organizations
and citizens. Its primary goal is to provide juveniles under its care the opportunity to cover reading materials
that would be covered in local classrooms. There are four, two foot shelves that house the collection in a locked
closet. The juveniles are offered the collection list to see if anything catches their interest, the staff then brings
them the item. The collection is currently comprised of approximately 100 books with the top shelf used
entirely for the donations from local churches. SCPLS has a goal to keep this collection updated on a regular
basis and seek funds to support annual purchases to slowly expand the collection. This collection has been
identified by SCPLS as serving an under-serviced segment of the community.
References
Layman, S. (2014, February 3). Initial Discussion for Updating Collection for the Sevier County Juvenile
Facility. (A. Brueland, & R. Tippitt, Interviewers)
Renaissance Learning, Inc. (2014). Quiz Store. Retrieved from Renaissance Learning Accelerated Learning for
All: https://www.renaissance.com/Store/quiz_home.asp?c=1
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