Courtney S’s Reviews > Collection Management Basics, 7th Edition > Status Update

"Collection development is a complex process that is highly subjective,
rife with problems and traps for the unwary. A comprehensive written
policy, developed with the advice and involvement of all parties concerned,
helps regulate the process and makes it less problematic."

"When faced with a borrower or parent who is livid because of an item’s
inclusion in the collection, how do you defuse the situation? Passing the
buck to the supervisor will only increase the person’s frustration. However,
without guidelines for handling this type of situation, it is dangerous to try
to solve the problem alone."

"In our view, the golden rule for gifts is: Do not add a gift unless it is
something the library would buy. Selectors must resist the temptation to add an item because it is free. No donated item is ever “free.” Processing costs are the same for gifts and purchased materials."

"There are no universal answers; there is a right answer for a particular library at a particular time, and this answer will change over time."

"-a tendency to look at the policy only when there is a significant uncertainty as to the proper course of action. (Keep in mind the meaning of policy; from a management perspective, it is a guide to action, not a rule. You have some flexibility in terms of what actions are allowable; certainly that flexibility is not limitless—boundaries should be made clear in the policy.)"

"No matter what type of library you find yourself in, you will quickly learn that there are more demands for this or that responsibility than there are hours available. Anything that adds to the time pressure creates more stress."

"a library school professor who taught collection development (and a friend of the authors) told her classes, “On the first day you go to work in collection development, ask to see the written policy so you can study it. When they tell you they don’t have one, faint. By the way, you need to practice fainting and falling so you don’t hurt yourselves; not many libraries have written collection development policies.”"

"Determining the effect, or lack of, of reading, viewing, and listening on behavior should be a high priority. Our field makes the case for free and open access to all material for anyone at any time, yet there is evidence that reading, viewing, and listening to certain material by certain people at certain times does affect behavior in a positive or negative way."

"almost all children’s books written prior to the 1850s were didactic and written to teach certain values and behaviors. Perhaps such material should not be considered therapeutic; however, the intent was to achieve a desired behavior or value system."

"The profession should devote more time to learning about the
circumstances in which reading or viewing may cause someone to harm
themselves, others, or property."