Collection Development

note: these are pretty sketchy notes of a broad and fast-moving conversation.  please add, edit, contribute as you can..

Sources:  are blogs as authoritative as traditional sources or reviews for purposes of collection development?   A variety of opinions about the value/authority of some bloggers.  Reader can get to know pov of bloggers as much as they can recognize the tendencies of reviewers in traditional sources.  Sometimes bloggers can be more in depth than traditional sources.  Do they have the same/similar critcal skills? 

Responding to requests from patrons for books that are not in the collection;  Stamford, will overnight book from amazon if there is more than on request for a title not in the collection.  Darien does this as well.  (amazon cheaper in some instances than B&T).

Series:  standing order lists.  B&T has good options for series books.

Mackin.com has links to lists and reviews.  Must register as school district or school librarian. (?)  (Mackin also has free access to Children's Lit. Comprehensive Database

RSS feeds for tags at Amazon.com (use for special interest items)

Bookninja or chickenspaghetti looked at issues about bloggers and review copies – is there a quid pro quo with certain bloggers and publishers for a good review in return for a copies?  WIth the growth of blogger/reviewers publishers are finding greater demands for their arcs.  This has led to some speculation that books are being made available so long as the blog review is positive. 

Formats…

Games … all are cataloged at Queens for adults.  Then the childrens librarians evaluate for content and audience and note that in the system (the impetus for this was overdue fines/collection agency issues that targeted adult users, but not kids). 

Game resources for coll. Dev. – usually its kids who check out games; use them as a resource for ideas and interests.  They are given a suggestion? List when they check out other games from collection – looking for different gaming platforms, different types of games, etc.  kids games are judged for entertainment value. 

Some libraries start up their Gaming collections with a grant.  Then the issue is- do you let them die naturally (scratched discs, etc.) and hope for another grant/donation to revive collection?  Or work it into the budget as a line? With such a changeable format and trend-driven medium, is it worth it?  Also, how to you decide on which platforms (Wii, XBox, PS3, etc.)?  A sprinkling of all?  Just one?  Poll the kids to find out their preferences?

Teen advisory board is used (Stamford) to help buy materials – gn for example.  

Math and language programs that will replace the cd rom?  The kind that have ‘drills’ in math and science for example.  Or Reader Rabbit.  What is online that has taken he place of reader rabbit.  Kiera suggests STARFALL for early readers.  Caroline suggests that subscribing to pay sites might be better than some of the free ones (less ads, better design, fuctionality). 

Formula for budget for formats:  books, audio books, dvds, music etc.  Darien does by amount.  Stamford does it by per centage of budget. 

Downloadable  formats are not user friendly, interface not friendly.  Clunky.  The industry is not on the same page interally and that seems to have an impact on the product it is providing for libraries; and consequently how the library patrons are using it.  or not... 

Summer Reading lists.?  In a public library with a limited budget, how to we respond to the demand for titles on school Summer Reading lists?  How to we deal with satisfying the holds?  Do we purchase 15 copies of every title on the list?  What about out-of-print titles?  How can we form better relationships with the schools in order to develop lists in conjunction? 

What does a Children's Collection look like 20 years from now?