MEDT 6465 Selection
Collection Map Assignment Recording Form
Student: Barbara Lange
Dewey Section Assigned
Record here the
copyright date of every
10th item in the Dewey
section
Powder Springs Public Library; Juvenile Biographies
2002, 2001, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2000, 2007, 2007, 1997,
1996, 2008, 1999, 2000, 1994, 1997, 2006, 2003, 1995,
2005, 2000, 1997, 1994, 1994, 1994, 1992, 1993, 2001,
1997, 1973, 2011, 2002, 1996, 1987, 1941, 2009
Average copyright date
of the items recorded
above
Average copyright date
of all items in this section
(from OPAC report)
Oldest copyright date of
this section
Newest copyright date of
this section
Notes of conversation
with media specialist:
Do you feel…?
69,896 / 35 = 1997
2004
1941
2011
Is this section current enough?
Probably not – this is a branch. The central library gets the
newest copy and then they may not get updated versions.
Are there requests for materials from this area often?
Not as much in the juvenile section, usually if it’s an
assignment. Adults do read this section for pleasure and
make requests.
Are these the best resources for this Dewey range?
Yes, all that were purchased were chosen from library
reviews.
Are there plans to update this section of the collection?
Beyond what the system sends us, no
Are other formats more desirable for this section
(eBooks, online databases, etc.)
Not for juvenile biographies
How was this section developed?
Library reviews, Publisher’s weekly, historical figures,
sports figures, rock stars, browsing items, news figures,
MEDT 6465 Selection
Collection analysis is an important part of collection development. You must
assess what you have before you can decide what areas need more materials. Since my
school library is closed for the summer, I went to the Powder Springs Branch of the Cobb
County Public Library. I analyzed the juvenile biography section by looking at thirtyfive books by observing every 10th book. I found that the oldest copyright surveyed is
1941 and the newest is 2011. The average of the copyright dates surveyed is 1997 and
the average copyright of all books in this section is 2004. While these copyright dates
seem old, you have to consider the section that was surveyed. The information included
in a bibliography won’t go out of date. Information may be added if a person is still
living but the past information will remain accurate. In looking at the books, I thought
that the books looked well used and not too appealing. A few of the bindings were loose.
Many of the names available were historical figures that students may be researching for
a class project. It did contain some current public figures that students may be interested
in reading, such as sports or television stars. Also, many of the books I browsed through
were not visually appealing. They included a lot of writing with very few pictures,
diagrams, maps, etc. Personally, I think that this section needs to be updated, so the
young readers would be enticed to read about influential people.
After looking at the juvenile biography section, I spoke to the librarian on duty. I
shared the information that I had collected, she said that she felt that this section was
probably not as current as it should. She said that because Powder Springs Library is a
branch of the Cobb County Library, they do not get the latest and most up to date
versions most of the time.
MEDT 6465 Selection
The librarian indicated that there are not many requests for this section. This
section is usually used for school projects. They do have a few requests for sports stars
but she noted that most children do not read biographies for pleasure.
All of the books in the section were appropriate. The historical figures are
prominent figures that are taught in school social studies classes and the other
biographies are well known people throughout societies across the world. The librarian
indicated that all acquisitions are researched and chosen through reading library reviews
such as the Publisher’s Weekly. The library chooses biographies based on historical
figures and figures in sports, music, and other areas, and they also look into what children
are browsing on the internet.
As of right now, there are no current plans to update this collection. The central
library may send out new books for this section, but the branch does not have it in their
plans right now to update. Other sections are in more need.
The librarian indicated that the most desirable format for this collection is print.
They are the most common format for biographies for juveniles, since they will be
needed for school projects and students may or may not have the technology necessary
for other formats to share at school. As stated before, juveniles do not often read
biographies for pleasure.
In my opinion, I would want to update this section by adding more of the
current historical and popular figures. In my 4th grade class, I had many students who
loved reading about basketball stars. Through these books, they could learn about text
and graphic features that are in non-fiction books. If the students are excited to read, they
will be exposed to more of these characteristics in this genre. If the juvenile biographies
MEDT 6465 Selection
contained more current stars, students would be more likely to choose to read it. Also,
some of the biographies need to be on a lower reading level. There are numerous reading
levels at all grade levels. Students who have difficulty reading are still required to learn
the social studies content that is so often found in biographies. This may also be
alleviated if some of the juvenile biographies were audiobooks.
While this section needs some updating, I would need to assess all sections to see
which section needed to be updated the most before allocating money in the budget.
Looking at copyright dates, current events, and uses for the section can lead to knowing if
the section needs to be updated.