This document discusses the need to rethink collection development policies for 21st century academic libraries. It outlines traditional topics covered in policies but notes the boundaries between areas are blurring. New modes of publishing and delivering information like demand-driven acquisition are challenging traditional access vs. ownership models. Technical issues like data curation, mining and born-digital content require attention. Interdisciplinarity, globalization, diversity and digital humanities mean content decisions now involve many stakeholders. Collaborative collecting through consortia is also important to consider for the modern policy.

1. Collection Development Policies for the
21st Century Academic Library:
Creating a New Model
Steve Alleman
Head of Collections, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Daniel C. Mack
Interim Director, Collection Management and Special
Collections, University of Maryland

2. DOES EVERY LIBRARY NEED A
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY?

3. Guide for Written Collection Policy Statements, 2d ed., ALCTS
Collection Management and Development Guides #7
Joanne S. Anderson, ed., (Chicago: ALA Editions, 1996) 36p.

4. RUSA Standards & Guidelines Committee
Responsible for advising the RUSA Board of Directors on
standards and guidelines for the delivery of reference
information services and of general library services and
materials to adults.
“A guideline serves as an authoritative document offering suggested
levels of performance or adequacy. It can outline a recommended course
of action. Unlike standards that carry the weight of a rule, guidelines
describe measures to help libraries meet the requirements of a standard.
The Bylaws of the American Library Association permit only type-of-library
divisions to adopt standards. RUSA, as a type-of-activity division, is
restricted to writing guidelines. The RUSA Standards and Guidelines
Committee coordinates the development of all guidelines written within
RUSA.”

5. Reference and User Services Guidelines
by Topic (http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines)
Collection Development
•
Guidelines for Liaison Work in Managing Collections and Services
(2010)
•
Guidelines for Preparation of a Bibliography (2010)
Electronic Services
•
Guidelines for the Introduction of Electronic Information Resources to
Users (2006)
•
Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services
(2010)
Genealogy, History
•
Guidelines for a Unit or Course of Instruction in Genealogical Research
at Schools of Library and Information Science (2007)
•
Guidelines for Developing a Core Genealogy Collection (2007)
•
Guidelines for Establishing Local History Collections (2012)
•
Information Literacy Guidelines and Competencies for Undergraduate
History Students (2013)
Information Literacy
•
Information Literacy Guidelines and Competencies for Undergraduate
History Students (2013)
Interlibrary Loan
•
Guidelines for Interlibrary Loan Operations Management (2012)
•
Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States (2008) Interlibrary Loan
Code for the United States Explanatory Supplement
•
Guidelines for Resource-Sharing Response to Natural and Man-made
Disasters (July 2010)
Reference/Information Services
•
New Definition of Reference (2008)
•
Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information
Service Providers (2013)
•
Guidelines for Business Information Responses (2013)
•
Guidelines for Cooperative Reference Services (2006)
•
Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference Services
(2010)
•
Guidelines for Information Services (2000)
•
Guidelines for Medical, Legal, and Business Responses (2001)
•
Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians
(2003)
User Populations
•
Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Multilingual
Collections and Services (2007)
•
Guidelines for Library Services to Older Adults (2008)
•
Guidelines for Library Services to Spanish-Speaking Library Users
(2007)
•
Guidelines for Library Services to Teens (2007)

6. Guideline for writing guidelines:
http://www.ala.org/rusa/about/policies/developingguidelines/4developingguidelin
es
1.0 Format
• 1.1 The format of the guidelines should follow those recommended in the ALA Standards Manual.
• 1.2 Number the sections in sequential order, with secondary ideas listed under general statements.
• 1.3 Each numbered section may have a header with a statement or paragraph(s) underneath, or may
have a main section header with a numbered statement/paragraph underneath.
• 1.4 Avoid detail beyond three numbered divisions (e.g. 1.1.2) to prevent making the document
cumbersome and difficult to follow.
2.0 Content
• 2.1 An RUSA guideline should incorporate benchmarks or yardsticks by which a particular library or
information service, resources, or material may be judged.
• 2.2 Include in an appendix, procedures that describe methods to achieve a benchmark or guideline
statement. These procedures may also be referred to as separately-published documents.
3.0 Style
• 3.1 Use short, declarative sentences. Avoid lengthy descriptive phrases. Avoid passive voice whenever
possible…………

7. Collection Development Policy Outline
I. Introduction
a. Purpose of the policy
b. Audience to whom the policy is directed
c. The institution served and its mission statement
d. Clientele
e. Intellectual freedom and copyright statements
II. Overview of the collection
a. History of the collection
b. Broad subject areas emphasized or deemphasized
c. Locations
III.Organization of the collection management program
a. Budget and allocation policy
b. Staffing and assigned responsibilities
c. Preservation and storage
d. Replacement and deselection
e. Cooperative agreements

8. IV. Collection development
a. Types of publications
i. Books
ii.Periodicals
iii.Textbooks
iv.Microforms
v.Audio-visual materials
vi.Electronic formats
b. Local history and special collections
c. Children’s materials
d. Languages
e. Popular vs. scholarly
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Fiction and non-fiction
Multiple copies
Reference and reserve
Government publications
Access vs. ownership
Acquisition procedures affecting
collection policies
i. Standing orders
ii. Approval plans and blanket
orders
iii. Gifts and exchanges

9. V. Detailed analysis of subject collections
a. Conspectus approach
b. Narrative approach – for each subject area:
i. Clientele
ii. Scope (language, geography, chronology, etc.)
iii.Types of material
iv.Subjects covered and collection levels
v. Responsibility for the subject
vi.Interdisciplinary relationships
vii.Local or regional resources

10. V. Detailed analysis of subject collections
a.Conspectus approach
b.Narrative approach – for each subject area:
i. Clientele
ii.Scope (language, geography, chronology, etc.)
iii.Types of material
iv.Subjects covered and collection levels
v.Responsibility for the subject
vi.Interdisciplinary relationships
vii.Local or regional resources

11. Is this the right approach
st century academic library?
for the 21

12. New areas of policy to consider
•
•
•
•
Content
New modes of publishing and delivery
Technical issues
Other issues
There are no neat boundaries between these areas

13. Changing content issues
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interdisciplinarity
Internationalization and global issues
Diversity
Big Science
Digital Humanities
Who is responsible for content decisions?

14. New modes of publishing and delivery
• Demand driven acquisition / patron driven acquisition /
user initiated acquisition
• Access vs. ownership
• Just in time vs. just in case
• Open access
• Peer-to-peer publishing
• Social media

15. Technical issues
•
•
•
•
•
•
Data curation
Data and text mining
Research data
Born digital content
Embargoes and restrictions of access
Platform-agnostic functionality

16. Other issues
•
•
•
•
Space
Assessment
Services
Consortia, partners and collaborative collection
development
• Who are the experts?

17. Questions or comments?
Contact us:
Steve Alleman: allemans@umkc.edu
Dan Mack: dmack@umd.edu