Collection Management Basics: Book Review

The Book

Barnes & Noble

Collection Management Basics (Sixth Edition)
G. Edward Evans
Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro

The Review

For the most part, the readings in this text were assigned in chronological order, so my professor did not feel that the issues present in the Gregory text were founded in this book. Still, this text was relegated as a supplement to our readings from the other textbook, which was the primary text for the class.

The Collection Management Basics has the look and feel of a traditional textbook. It also reads like one, making for dense chapters that approach 30 pages each. As such, this textbook was very informative but not the most pleasant reading material.

The Citation

Evans, G. E., Saponaro, M. Z. Collection management basics. 6th ed. Denver, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

Collection Development and Management: Book Review

The Book

Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Library Collections: An introduction
Vicki L. Gregory

The Review

My professor decided to begin the course with chapters 4 and 5 of this text before going back to chapters 1-3. Her rationale was that we would need to have some basic knowledge of the Selection (4) and Acquisitions (5) process before assessing the needs of users (2). This makes a great deal of sense. Most textbooks begin by defining crucial terms and then build on the basic concepts, this text assumes that the reader brings a fairly high level of experience with Collection Management (which includes selection) and Acquisitions with them. While I did have a vague sense of what it was, I have a much more solid knowledge of the process now. The difference between collection management and acquisition in the library setting is as follows:

Collection Management

The process of selecting materials the library should hold.

Acquisition

The physical process involved in actually obtaining the selected materials.

Other than that one issue with the content order, this book was the main text for the course LIS 6511: Collection Development and Maintenance. It was a smooth read and very well supported with documented resources. Chapters hover around 20 pages in length, so they were not too long yet they presented substantial information. This was overall an excellent textbook.

Citation

Gregory, V. L. Collection development and management for 21st century library collections: An introduction. New York: Neal-Schuman.

That Time of the Semester

A Semester Has Ended

Since this semester is basically over, I'm going to have a lot of material to post. I will be posting about my overall experiences with Collection Development and Maintenance and Web Design for Librarians. First, I will review the textbooks that we used in the courses:

• Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Library Collections by Vicki L. Gregory
• Collection Management Basics by G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro
• Basics of Web Design by Terry Felke-Morris

I understand that reviewing textbooks sounds a little less interesting than watching paint dry, so I understand if nobody cares to read these next few posts.

Dreaming of Springtime

What else would you do the day after Christmas? I'm keeping warm with thoughts of Web Design & Collection Development. Here's the official description of what my life will be like until April. (This semester has already wrecked one weekend, we'll see how extensive the damage will end up being.)

LIS 5937 Web Design for Libraries (3) This course will provide the student with an
introduction to Web Design basic including theory, concepts and techniques. Topics will
include best practices, structure, layout, style sheets, graphics, publishing, templates,
software, and other web applications. After this course the learner will be able to:

• Research, evaluate and describe the considerations regarding usability, accessibility, navigability, cultural sensitivity, global issues, and good design practices for websites in an instructional and informational resource environment.
• Create and modify web page elements using various web and graphic creation tools for appropriate layout and design objectives.
• Research and analyze current web design issues, elements, and considerations.
• Create a web site employing good design principles and using appropriate content for an instructional and information resource environment.
• Understand the use of graphic representations.

LIS 6511 COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE (3) Developmental

approach to building library collections of both print and non-print materials. Emphasis

upon evaluation, selection, and acquisition of library materials as they uphold the

objectives of the institutions for which they are selected and acquired.