Unit 1.5: Selection and Acquisition of different types of documents.
MLIS-102 (D): Public Libraries
1. Introduction
The process of selection and acquisition of diverse documents, including non-book materials, is a cornerstone of library and information management. Libraries must carefully curate a collection that caters to the dynamic information needs of their users. This entails selecting materials such as books, journals, multimedia resources, digital content, and more. The goal is to build a comprehensive and accessible collection that aligns with the library's mission and serves the diverse interests and preferences of its patrons. This introduction outlines the pivotal role that selection and acquisition play in ensuring that libraries remain vibrant hubs of knowledge and information.
2. Acquisition Department/ Section
The Acquisition Department (AD) plays a critical role in the functioning of libraries, especially concerning collection development. This department is responsible for several essential activities for building and maintaining the library's information resources.
Objective of the Acquisition Department: The primary purpose of the Acquisition Department is to develop the library's collection in alignment with the goals and mission of the parent institution. This involves catering to the diverse information needs of different user groups.
• Selection:
• Selection Policy: This involves creating a selection policy that outlines the library's target users, their needs, the subjects or topics to be covered, and the types of information sources to be included.
• Selection Aids and Tools: The department uses various aids and tools to aid in the selection process. These tools help in verifying the appropriateness of the chosen materials.
• Selection Process: Decisions are made about who will be involved in the selection process, the criteria for assessing the intrinsic value of information sources, and the procedures for evaluating demand and user appropriateness.
• Acquisition/Procurement: The department establishes procedures for acquiring the necessary information sources. In cases where direct procurement is not feasible, alternative methods, such as obtaining materials on loan, photocopying relevant sections, or securing permission to use them from other information centres or systems, are considered.
• Accessioning: Accessioning involves the formal process of adding acquired books and documents to the library's collection. It includes assigning a unique serial number called the "Accession Number" and, if applicable, a "Donation Number" to each item. All bibliographic details of the materials are recorded in an Accession Register.
• Types of Documents: Libraries collect various documents, but books are typically the most significant part of the collection. Although the department may refer to its activities as book selection, book ordering, and book accessioning, it's important to note that AD is responsible for acquiring all types of documents. An exception is current issues of periodicals and newspapers, which the Periodicals Department handles.
• Importance of the Acquisition Department: The AD holds a crucial place in the overall library organisation, as the collection is the foundation of a library's usefulness. Collection development is primarily the responsibility of this department. It's tasked with efficiently and economically organising resources, including human resources, materials, and budget, to build and maintain the collection. This process should be carried out using sound principles of scientific management.
3. Need and General Principles of Book Selection
The need and general principles of book selection in libraries are paramount as they guide the allocation of limited resources and ensure that the library's collection aligns with its goals and objectives. Here, we explore the reasons for book selection and the principles that underpin this crucial activity:
• Meeting Information Needs: Libraries are service institutions with finite budgets. Therefore, it is imperative to be judicious in the selection of books to ensure that valuable materials are acquired within the allotted budget. The selected books should fulfil the aims and objectives of the library. This process must be conducted in the context of the library's collection development goals.
• General Principles of Book Selection: Book selection is a complex and intellectual activity that requires critical judgment and skill. It is an active effort to prevent indiscriminate acquisition and aims to add materials applicable to the library's clientele.
• User-Centric Approach: The book selection process begins and ends with the library's user community and long-term mission and objectives. Many libraries have formal collection development policies that outline these goals and serve as a guide for managing the collection. Without written procedures, libraries often adhere to established processes and norms that informally guide the selection process. Regardless of the approach, the user remains at the centre of collection development.
• Philosophical Foundations: Philosophical foundations that emphasise the library patron as the central figure in collection development activities remain relevant. Ranganathan's second and third law, "every book its reader or every reader its book", and Drury's principle on selection in 1930 “, the high purpose of book selection is to provide the right books for the right reader and at the right time” propound the supremacy of the user-centric process of selection of library resources. McColvin advocated his Demand and Supply Theory of Book Selection in 1925. He states, "Books in themselves are nothing. They have no more meaning than the white paper upon which they are printed until they are made serviceable by demand. The more closely book selection is related to the demand; the greater is the resultant and possible service". His theory also advanced the concept of users' demand for the selection of books and resources in the library. The core idea is to provide the right books to readers at the right time.
• The vital observation by Melvil Dewey regarding library collection in one sentence is "The best reading for the largest number at the least cost". He has spelt the principles of book selection under:
• The best documents are those that satisfy the just demands of the users for recreation, knowledge and study; the papers that cater to the social and cultural needs of the users.
• Selection of documents should satisfy as many readers as possible, considering the limited resources.
• One has to be careful in the selection and economical in purchases to ensure optimum satisfaction to the maximum number of readers.
• Ranganathan's first three laws of library science help formulate the principles of the selection of documents.
• The first law, “Books are for use”, - makes it obligatory that only those documents that are helpful to the clientele of a particular library should be selected.
• The second law, “Every reader his book”, directs the selector to cater to the information needs of all the users of the library.
• The third law, “Every reader his/her book”, suggests that all efforts should be made to put to use those documents of value that have been selected in anticipation of the needs of the users.
The need for book selection in libraries is driven by the aim to meet the information needs of library users while making efficient use of limited resources. The general principles of book selection focus on user-centricity, the importance of demand in selection, and the role of clear goals and objectives in guiding the process. By adhering to these principles, libraries can build collections that best serve their users and fulfil their missions.
4. Selection of Documents
Selection is the initial phase of building a library collection. It involves deciding what types of materials to acquire based on the library's mission, user needs, and available resources. Here are the key steps and considerations in the selection process:
1. Assessment of User Needs: Librarians must understand the information needs and preferences of their library's users. This can involve conducting surveys, analysing user demographics, and seeking input from faculty, students, or other stakeholders.
Various sources can be utilised to ascertain demand, including:
• Statistics related to the circulation of books and their use in the library.
• Suggestions from library staff working in service departments who interact with users.
• Feedback and suggestions from library patrons.
• Requests and indents from subject experts or academic departments.
• Findings from user need surveys conducted within the library's user community.
• Examination of syllabi and prospectuses of academic courses to identify required reading materials.
• Profiles and research needs of scholars and researchers.
2. Collection Development Policy: Libraries often have a written collection development policy that outlines the scope, goals, and priorities for the collection. This policy helps guide selection decisions and ensures consistency.
3. Evaluation of Existing Collection: Review the current collection to identify strengths, weaknesses, gaps, and areas needing expansion or reduction.
4. Budget Considerations: Determine the budget available for acquisitions. This financial constraint influences what materials can be added to the collection.
5. Selection Tools: Utilize selection tools such as bibliographies, reviews, and subject expertise to identify materials that align with the library's collection goals. Various Sources:
• Trade Catalogues: Issued by individual publishers and booksellers, trade catalogues provide information about books and other materials available for acquisition.
• Book Trade Journals: Periodicals dedicated to the book trade often feature news, reviews, and information about newly published titles.
• Previews and Announcements: Publishers issue previews and announcements that showcase upcoming publications, making libraries aware of what will be available shortly.
• Book Reviews: Published in newspapers and journals, book reviews offer insights into the content and quality of books, helping libraries make informed decisions.
• Book Reviewing Journals: These journals are dedicated to reviewing books across various subject areas, serving as valuable resources for selection.
• Book Selection Lists: Competent bodies and organisations publish lists of recommended books and materials in different categories, aiding libraries in their selection process.
• Textbook Lists: Information about textbooks prescribed for various courses of study is crucial for academic libraries to ensure they have the required materials.
• Published Catalogues: Catalogues of book exhibitions and essential libraries can be valuable sources for identifying noteworthy materials.
• Subject Bibliographies and Guides: These resources offer information about publications within specific subject areas, helping libraries identify relevant materials.
• National Bibliographies: These catalogues list publications by country, making them essential for comprehensive collection development.
• Retrospective Bibliographies: Comprehensive retrospective bibliographies like "BooksinPrint" provide extensive lists of available books and materials.
• Catalogues of Second-Hand Booksellers: These catalogues can be valuable sources for acquiring out-of-print or rare materials.
6. Format Considerations: Decide on the formats of materials to be acquired, including books, journals, e-books, audiovisual materials, digital resources, etc. The choice of design depends on user preferences and availability.
7. Authority and Reliability: Ensure that selected materials are authored or published by reputable sources. Verify the accuracy and reliability of the content.
8. Currency: Consider the currency of information, especially in fields where timeliness is crucial, such as science or technology.
9. Language and Accessibility: Ensure that materials are available in languages understood by library users and accessible to people with disabilities.
10. Duplication and Replacement: Avoid unnecessary duplication of materials already in the collection. Assess whether the library should replace outdated or damaged items.
5. Acquisition of Documents
The acquisition of documents is a crucial phase in managing a library's collection. This phase involves obtaining the materials and resources that the library needs to fulfil its mission, meet the information needs of its users, and maintain a diverse and comprehensive collection. The acquisition process can include various materials, such as books, journals, audio-visual materials, digital content, and more.
The phase where selected materials are obtained and added to the library's collection. This process involves mainly these steps:
1. Collecting Demands/Indents: In this step, librarians gather demands and indents from various sources, including faculty, researchers, and users. These demands represent the specific books, journals, or other materials requested by library users or required for the library's collection.
2. Processing the Demands and Correcting the Lists: The collected demands are reviewed, organised, and consolidated into a master list. Any errors or inconsistencies are corrected during this stage to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the acquisition request.
3. Checking Duplicacy: Before proceeding, it's essential to check the master list for duplicate requests. Duplicate requests can lead to unnecessary spending, and they should be eliminated to avoid redundancy.
4. Vendor Selection: Once the master list is ready, the library must select appropriate vendors or suppliers to procure the requested materials. Vendor selection can be based on reputation, pricing, and availability.
5. Seeking Administrative and Financial Approvals from the Authorities: Before making any financial commitments, the library often requires approval from administrative and monetary authorities. This step involves getting clearance to allocate the necessary budget for acquisitions.
6. Ordering: Once approvals are in place, the library issues purchase orders to the selected vendors to acquire materials. These orders specify the titles, quantities, and other details of the requested items.
7. Physical Checking and Listing of Received Materials: When the vendors deliver the materials, it's essential to conduct a physical check to verify that the items received match what was ordered. Any discrepancies should be documented. A record of the obtained materials is then created or updated.
8. Technical Processing: After receiving the materials, they go through technical processing. This involves assigning accession numbers, cataloguing the items (creating bibliographic records), and classifying them based on a classification scheme, Labeling/ Pasting of Stamps, Tagging of Barcodes/ RFID Tags, etc. This step ensures that the materials can be organised and found easily within the library.
9. Shelving and Accessibility: Once the technical processing is complete, the materials are ready for users. They are placed on library shelves or made accessible through digital catalogues and databases, ensuring patrons can locate and access them efficiently.
Each of these steps is vital to the acquisition process, ensuring that the library acquires the suitable materials in the correct quantity while efficiently managing budgets and providing easy access to users. Effective execution of these steps helps maintain a well-organized and user-friendly library collection.
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