IST 606: Collection Development and Management:
Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials
Fall 2009
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Deborah Bernnard
Dewey Library
(518) 442-3699
dbernnard@uamail.albany.edu
Tuesdays, 4:00-5:00 pm and by appointment
Course:
Prerequisite:
Day and Time:
Location:
IST 606 Collection Development and Management
IST 605
Thursday– 4:15 to 7:05 p.m.
Draper 303
Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to examine the theoretical and practical aspects of the
selection, acquisition, evaluation, management, and use of resources to meet the
information needs of clientele in libraries and other institutional environments. The main
objectives are:
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To identify the nature and significance of the relationship between the library and
the collection development and management processes;
To become familiar with the main elements, principles, and techniques of
collection development and management;
To identify the problems and challenges of collection development and
management;
To develop insights and methods for dealing with issues pertaining to collection
development and management; and
To identify the opportunities and challenges posed by electronic materials. Times
New Roman
It is expected that upon completion of this course students will be able to:
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Create, select, acquire, organize, describe, manage, preserve, retrieve, and
disseminate information using relevant theories and practices. Evidence of this
will be present in each student’s completed Collection Development Selection
Project.(IST Goal/Objective #3)
Assess information needs of diverse and underserved populations and provide
resources and instruction to meet those need. Assessment of this goal will be
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evident in each student’s participation in class discussion, group work, collection
policy analysis, serials cancellation project and collection development selection
project. (IST Goal/Objective #4)
Formulate, interpret and implement information policy including issues of
privacy, equity, intellectual property, and intellectual freedom. Evidence of this
will be present in each student’s participation in class discussion and group work,
collection policy analysis, serials cancellation project and collection development
selection project (IST Goal/Objective #6)
Understand the information environment and build collaborative relationships to
strengthen library and information services and literacy. Assessment of this
objective will be evident in each student’s completed Collection Development
Research Project. (IST Goal/Objective #9)
Instructional Methods
This class will incorporate active learning techniques and will require a high level of
student participation. There will be very little lecture by the instructor. Almost every
class will revolve around classroom discussions allowing for the exchange of ideas
and formulation of questions related to the processes of collection development and
management. These discussions will be based on each week’s assigned readings. It is
important that you complete the reading so that you will be an informed participant in
the discussions. Two student facilitators will be appointed for each class session.
The facilitators’ responsibilities are to have a thorough understanding of the assigned
reading material and to propose discussion questions based on that material. This is
not a presentation. All students should be prepared to participate fully in the
discussion. The facilitator gets to choose the topic of discussion based on the day’s
topic and should strive to keep the discussion lively and fair. The instructor reserves
the right to usurp the discussion as she sees fit. Additionally, a portion of several
classes will be devoted to individual or group exercises with a whole class discussion
following the exercise. We will also be hosting several guest lecturers. Attendance of
each class session is required. Please discuss any conflicts with me before the
scheduled class session.
Policies
Attendance
Your in-class performance is key to your success in this course. Attendance,
itself, is not graded. Instead, graded in-class activities and assignments constitute
an important part of the course grade. Missing class means the student earns an
automatic “0” credit for the activities or assignments missed. Missing an
activity/assignment that happened at the beginning of class earns a score of “0”.
Likewise, missing an activity/assignment that occurs after a student leaves early
also earns a “0”. No make-up opportunities will be available.
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Make-Up Policy
There are no make-up opportunities for missed assignments. Please do not ask to
make up missed work.
Papers are due on the due date. Late individual papers will be accepted, but at the
cost of a full letter grade for missing the original deadline, and an additional letter
grade for each additional 24 hours late. In the event of illness, please contact the
instructor before the due date. No "Incomplete" will be given to students who fail
to submit final project by the end of the semester (December 17, 2008).
Cell Phones
Please make sure your cell phone is off while you are in class. Text messaging
while in class will result in a reduced overall grade. ( I can tell if you are text
messaging, it is fairly obvious.)
Academic Integrity
Students are on their honor to be ethical and honest in carrying out all the
assignments and requirements of this course. Any violations of this code, such as
cheating, copying, plagiarism, or misrepresentation of one’s own work, will meet
with the appropriate penalties and discipline as outlined in UAlbany regulations.
Disciplinary actions for such offenses are severe, and include loss of course
credit, suspension, and expulsion from the university. If you are not clear about
what constitutes plagiarism, or the limits of acceptable group collaboration, please
ask the instructor for clarification.
Special Needs Accommodation
Students who have special needs due to learning or other disabilities will be
accommodated, and should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Students who request accommodation will be asked to provide appropriate
documentation, which may be obtained through the student services office.
Communication
Students should check their e-mail routinely, since this is the best method of
communication with the instructor concerning assignments, questions, and
readings. Feel free to call me or make an appointment, if that would be helpful
for you. Please use “IST 606” at the beginning of the subject line when you send
e-mail to me.
Evaluation
Assessment:
Criteria used for evaluating written and oral assignments include:
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1. Comprehension of the topic or area under study, reflected in the
content of the work (complete and correct)
2. Inclusion of information relevant to the assignment, following
instructions.
3. Ability to communicate ideas clearly, logically, in a well organized,
rational and interesting manner, easily read and understood.
4. Evidence of use of critical thinking, analysis, reflection, and
creativity.
5. Evidence of careful editing: free from grammatical errors; visually
clear and easy to follow.
Attendance: 20%
In-class activities/group discussions,
Collection policy analysis: 20%
Serials Cancellation Project: 20%
Final Project: 40%
Collection development selection project:
Scale:
A 4.0 Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials
and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations.
A- 3.7 Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course
materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner.
B+ 3.3 Very good work. Student performance demonstrates above-average comprehension of the course
materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks as defined in the course syllabus.
B 3.0 Student performance meets designated course expectations and demonstrates understanding of the
course materials at an acceptable level.
B- 2.7 Marginal work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete understanding of course materials.
C+ 2.3/C 2.0 Unsatisfactory work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete and inadequate
understanding of course materials.
C- 1.7 / D+ 1.3 / D 1.0 / D- 0.7 Unacceptable work. Coursework performed at this level will not count
toward the MLS or MIS degree. For the course to count toward the degree, the student must repeat the
course with a passing grade.
F 0.0 Failing.
Course Resources
Listserv:
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Students are encouraged to subscribe to COLLDV-L. In addition to topical
postings, many job ads appear here. To subscribe, use the following format to
send an e-mail message to listproc@usc.edu:
subscribe colldv-l your first name your last name
Journals:
You should familiarize yourselves with the following journals (available at
Dewey Library):
 The Acquisitions Librarian
 Against the Grain
 Booklist
 Choice
 Collection Building
 Collection Management
 Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services
 Library Journal
 Publishers Weekly
 School Library Journal
 The Serials Librarian
 Serials Review
Course Readings
Textbook:

Required: Evans, G. Edward. Developing Library and Information Center
Collections. Greenwood Village, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2005. 1 copy is
available on Reserve at DEWEY Library. Copies are available for purchase at
Mary Jane Books.

Recommended: Johnson, Peggy. Fundamentals of Collection Development &
Management. Chicago: American Library Association, 2nd edition, 2009. Copies
are available for purchase at Mary Jane’s Books. 1 copy is available on Reserve at
DEWEY Library.
Books on Reserve (available at DEWEY Library):
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Alabaster, Carol. Developing an Outstanding Core Collection: A Guide for
Libraries. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002. [Dewey Z 687.2 U6
A43 2002]
Anderson, Joanne S., Chris Desjariais-Leuth, Maureen Gleason, Caroline C.
Long, Marilyn Myers, Mary Ellen Quinn, and Kathleen A. Sullivan. Guide for
Written Collection Policy Statements. Second Edition. Chicago, IL: American
Library Association, 1996. [Dewey Z 687 A518 1996]
Biblarz, Donna, Stephen Bosch and Chris Sugnet. Guide to Library User Needs
Assessment for Integrated Information Resource Management and Collection
Development. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001. [Dewey Z 687 G847 2001]
Bosch, Stephen, Patricia A. Promis and Chris Sugnet. Guide to Licensing and
Acquiring Electronic Information. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005. [Dewey
Z 692 C65 G85x 2005]
German, Lisa, et al. Guide to the Management of the Information Resources
Budget. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001. [Dewey Z 689 G86]
Lambert, Dennis K., et al. Guide to Review of Library Collections: Preservation,
Storage, and Withdrawal. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. [Dewey
Z 687.2 U6 G64 2002]
Articles and Book Chapters on ERes: Assigned readings are available on eres. Our
course password is collections. Please make sure that you acquire the articles from eres
well before you are responsible for their content. If you have difficulty getting the
article, contact me and I will send you a digital copy.
Useful Web Sites:
AcqWeb's "Directory of Collection Development Policies on the Web." Available at:
http://www.acqweb.org/cd_policy.html.
AcqWeb's "Directory of Publishers and Vendors." Available at:
http://www.acqweb.org/pubr.html.
Bertot, John Carlo, Charles R. McClure, Denise M. Davis, and Joe Ryan. "Capture Usage
with E-Metrics." Library Journal 129, no. 8 (2004): 30-32.
(http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA411564)
Smyth, Elaine B. “A practical approach to writing a collection development policy.” Rare
books & manuscripts librarianship 14, no. 1 (Fall 1999): 27-31.
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/rbm/backissuesrbmlvo/smyth.pdf
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"LibLicense: Licensing Digital Information: A Resource for Librarians."
http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/index.shtml
Collection Development Class Outline:
Date
Topics
Speaker Readings
September 3
Introduction,
Syllabus,
Definition and
History of
Collection
Development
Chapter 1 in
Johnson, P.
Fundamentals
of Collection
Development
and
Management
Itner, S. Ten
steps to great
collections.
September 10
Community
Analysis,
Collection
analysis,
Collection
Development
Policies-Check list
of what needs to
be included in a
collection
development
policy
Assignment
In Class Work
For next week,
Sept 10. Locate a
collection
development
policy for a
library with
which you are
familiar. Bring a
printed copy of it
to class on Sept.
10
Community
Assignment
Itner, Sheila S.
Impact of the
Internet on
Collection
Development:
Where Are We
Now? Where
Are We
Headed? An
Informal Study.
Chapter 3 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Examine and
analyze
collection
development
policies in
groups.
Each group will
have a policy
from a different
library.
Strengths and
weaknesses
McGuigan,
Subject
Specific Policy
Statements
Spohrer, J. The
end of an
American
(library) dream
September 17
Selection Process
Chapter 4 in
Collection Policy
Groups will
present their
evaluations to
the class
Groups examine
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and Tools
September 24
Public Library
Collection
Development
Publishers and
Publishing
October 1
Budgets,
Marketing
Evans,
Analysis Due
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Agee, Jim
(2003)
“Selecting
Materials: A
Review of Print
and Online
Sources”
Melinda
Taormina
, Clifton
Park-Half
Moon
Public
Library
selection tools in
class for
strengths and
weaknesses.
Chapter 5 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Adkins, Esser,
Valsquest&
Hill. Romance
novels in
American
public
libraries: A
study of
collection
development
practices
Chapter 12 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections.
Arora, A. &
Klabjan, D. A
model for
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October 8
budget
allocation in
multi-unit
libraries.
Chapter 6 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections.
Serials Print and
Digital formats
Chung, An
analysis model
of creating a
core journal
collection for
academic
libaries.
October 15
October 22
Acquisitions
Collaborative
Collection
Development
Jean
Guyon,
Kate
Latal
Chapter 10 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections.
Fenner. The
Approval Plan
Chapter 15 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections.
Serials
Cancelation
Project Due
Read case study #
Be prepared to
work in class to
come up with
some solutions
Walters, W.
Should
libraries
acquire books
that are widely
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held
elsewhere?A
brief
investigation
with
Implications
for consortial
book selection.
October 29
Government
Documents
Foreign Materials
Alternative
Publishers
November 5
Intellectual
Freedom
&Censorship
issues
Jesus
AlonsoRegalado
http://www.asi
s.org/Bulletin/
Feb06/walters.html
Rethinking
Resource
Sharing
Manifesto
http://rethinkin
gresourceshari
ng.org/manifes
to.html
Chapter 8 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Chapter 18 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections.
Read Case Study
# be prepared to
work in class to
come up with
some solutions
ALA Library
Bill of Rights
Before the
censor comes
Oppenheim,
Censorship in
Libraries
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November 12
Preservation,
Disaster
Management and
recovery
November 19
Gifts
Managing
Collections
Deselection
Vendor/librarian
relationships
Karen
Brown,
Preservat
ion
Chapter 16 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Chapter 13 in
Evans, G.
Developing
Library and
Information
Center
Collections
Dilevko, Weed
to achieve: a
fundamental
part of the
public library
mission.
November 26
December 3
NO CLASS
Future of
Collections
Special
Collections
Anderson,
FutureProofing the
Library:
Strategies for
Acquisitions,
Cataloging,
and Collection
Development
Collection
Development and
Management
Final Project
Due.
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