The document discusses the process of book selection in libraries, defining it as the decision-making process regarding which materials to add to a collection, often informed by reviews and collection development tools. It outlines various selection aids, including pre- and post-publication review media, and identifies key tools for librarians such as Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. The importance of diverse sources and the roles of both librarians and faculty in selection are emphasized.

1. BOOK SELECTION TOOLS
TONY VIMAL
S2 , MLISC
Roll No :06
University of kerala
LIS 524 :
LIBRARY AND INFORMATION
CENTRE MANAGEMENT

2. DEFINITION OF
BOOK SELECTION
 ODLIS defines selection as
"the process of deciding which materials should be added
to a library collection. Selection decisions are usually
made on the basis of reviews and standard collection
development tools by librarians designated as selectors in
specific subject areas, based on their interests and fields of
specialization. In academic libraries,

3. CONTD…
selection may also be done by members of the teaching
faculty in their disciplines. Very large academic and public
libraries may use an approval plan or blanket order plan to
assist selectors. Library patrons also recommend titles for
purchase, especially in libraries that provide a suggestion
box."

4. SELECTION AIDS
 Selection aids or tools provide necessary information about
books, their contents, bibliographic characteristics, physical
formats, possible uses and where they can be obtained.
 There is no single selection tool capable of providing all the
information needed by the librarian in purchasing books and
other materials for the library. By referring 2or3 or more tools
for the same purpose may provide sufficient information for
the purchase of documents .

5. REVIEW SOURCES
 Tools for review include sources that provide
background information, varying points of view,
critiques, and suggestions for use.
 There are two types of review sources. One type
provides information about materials prior to their
publication. Some of these sources include

6. CONTD…
Booklist, Choice Reviews Online, Library Journal,
and School Library Journal.
 Other sources provide reviews concurrently with or after
publication. These include newspapers, popular
magazines, professional publications, media, and scholarly
journals.

7. TYPES OF BOOK SELECTION
TOOLS
According to Ajit Kumar Chakrabarti(1983)
there are three types of book selection tools or
aids, namely:
 Per-publication Review Media
 Post- publication Review Media
 Review of learned periodicals and Specialised Journals

8. PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEW MEDIA
 Pre-publication review means review of the galley book
(advance reader copy of the book) by certain
agency/organizations and publishing the review report
through print media. Such reviews will help the librarian
in selecting books for the library.The traditional reviewers
for pre –publication review of books are listed below:

9. PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEWERS LIST
 Publishers Weekly
 Book List
 Library Journal
 Kirkus
 New York Times
 LA Times
 Chicago Tribune
 Midwest Book Review
 Wall Street Journal
 USA Book News
 Foreword Magazine
 School Library Journal
 ALA Booklist
 Quality Books Inc
 Bloomsbury
 Heartland Review

10. CONTD..
 Barnes&Noble
 Booksamillion
 Amazon
 Good Reads

11. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
NEW YORK, R.R. BOWKER CO. 1872
 This weekly is standard American book trade journal. It is
a valuable professional aid for selecting books in different
types of libraries specially where there is urgency of
purchasing popular books.
 It is an essential reading material for the librarians to get
information about new books.
 Publisher’s weekly reviewed a large number of adult
books and juvenile works . Its circulation has crossed
over 32,000

12. BOOK LISTS
NEW YORK,AIA,1905
 Booklist is a journal listing recent books with brief notes
designed to assist the librarians in selection.
 A booklist contains only the list of recommended and best
books for purchase.
 Reviews in almost all the cases pinpoint the weakness of a
particular title, even though it is in the recommended list.
 School librarians find the listing more valuable and
helpful.

13. LIBRARY JOURNAL (SEMI-MONTHLY, SEP-JUNE:
MONTHLY, JULY-AUGUST).
NEW YORK , R.R.BOWKER CO. 1876
 Library journal is primarily devoted to books and provides
varying attention to other media also. Nearly 500 book
reviews appear in a year. Reviews generally appear one or
two months after the books are published. Reviews are
arranged by broad subject headings. The arrangement is
alphabetical by subject.
 Public libraries and academic libraries prefer this journal
for selection of books. Professional libraries and teachers
in library science write the reviews.

14. KIRKUS REVIEW(SEMI-MONTHLY)
NEW YORK , KIRKUS SERVICE, INC, 1933
 Kirkus publishes reviews two or three months before
their release. It reviews juvenile and adult books. It is
strong in the review of fictions and reviews are longer.
 It serves as a valuable aid to the librarians of public
libraries.
 It is referred by libraries when there is an urgency of
purchasing popular books before its publication

15. THE NEW YORK TIME BOOK
REVIEW WEEKLY
New York, the New York Times Co. 1896
 The New York Time weekly is the most popular and oldest
reviewing periodical in the USA. Review of books for
children and young adults regularly appear in each issue.
Each issue lists best selling paperbacks. Fiction reviews
are exhaustive and complete-reviews are written by
experts. It reviewed a large number of books. Its
circulation is wide and huge.

16. POST-PUBLICATION
REVIEW MEDIA
 Post-publication review media refers to reviews written
after the publication of the book and appearing in print
media.
 Other sources provide reviews concurrently with or after
publication. These include newspapers, popular
magazines, professional publications, media, and scholarly
journals.

17. PERIODICALS AND NEWS PAPERS
 Reviews appearing in general and specialized periodicals and
weekly editions of Newspapers and reviews appearing in
Book reviewing periodicals etc serve as book selection
tools/aids.
 Scientific and Technical periodicals with rich book reviews
and Newspapers having book review coloumns are important
sources/tools/aids for Book selection.

18. CONTD..
 Book reviews are published under several headings such
as ‘Book Reviews’, ‘New Thought’, ‘New Publication’,
‘See Your Books’,
‘Current Books’, ‘Review updates’ etc.

19. TRADE JOURNALS
 Trade journals like Kirkus, Books to come, publishers
weekly, Bookseller etc. are very effective aids/tools in Book
selection.
 Trade Journals brings out information regarding new books.
Reviews of latest and forthcoming books of general interest.
 Book trades and Book exhibitions also prove opportunity to
see, go through and evaluate the new books with a view to
select books for library.

20. PUBLISHERS CATALOGUE
 Publishers catalogues are one of the ways that publishing houses
advertise their publications. These may help in collection
development.
 Publishers catalogues can be used with caution, keeping in mind they
are simply alerting tools and can provide no legitimate evaluative
information. Overall, publishers catalogues should be used to find out
about new titles, and for details needed by librarians.

21. CONTD…
 Leading publishers regularly publishes catalogue. The
catalogue of well reputed publishers will publish their
catalogue with Cover design, Images, title, Author details
and a brief outline of the content of the book. This will
help the librarians in evaluating and selecting the bookfor
library

22. REFERENCES
 Collection Development and
Management.http://eduscapes.com/collection/4.htm
 Chakrabarti, Ajit Kumar(1983). A treatise on Book
Selection.D.K.Publications, Delhi.
 Mason Moya K. Publishers Catalogues and Collection Developmen
http ://www.moyak.com/papers/collection-development-publishers.
html

23. THANK YOU 