Collection Development

New Books for the Library

Click on the button on the left to request new books for our library collection. Check the library catalog or browse the shelves to verify we do not have the book before submitting your request. You can also check to see if Sora has it in ebook format.

Collection Development


Materials should be ordered from the list of approved vendors available from the Office of Library Media Services with complete processing (i.e. barcodes and MARC records) according to county specifications.


Collection development is extremely important in a school library. Books in the library must support to the curriculum or student interests. The curriculum map below shows what students are learning. In addition, the curriculum map is consulted prior to placing an order. This ensures books added to the collection supports the curriculum and fosters student learning with high quality reading material.

Weeding


A good collection development plan must include weeding. Weeding is the carefully planned process of removing materials which have outlived their usefulness. The process of weeding helps keep collections relevant, accurate, useful and facilitates more effective use of space in the library media center. Less is More: a Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections by Mona Kerby and Chapter 12 “Practical Aspects of Program Administration” from Administering the Library Media Center, 5th Edition (pp. 450-455) by Betty J. Morris, provide excellent guidance on weeding. Library media materials (print and nonprint) should be weeded if they:

  • are in poor condition

  • have not been circulated in the last five years

  • are outdated in content, use, or accuracy. Copyright should be considered, but a decision should not be based only on the copyright date. Older materials may be considered classic or may be of great historical value to the collection

  • are mediocre or poor in quality

  • are biased or portray stereotypes

  • are inappropriate in reading level

  • duplicate information which is no longer in heavy demand

  • are superseded by new or revised information

  • are outdated or unattractive in format, design, graphics, or illustrations

  • contain information which is inaccessible due to a lack of a table of contents, adequate indexing, or searching capabilities

  • have not been selected in accordance with PGCPS selection criteria


Source: Process Guide for School Library Media Centers: A Balanced Approach, PreK-12. (2013). Prince George's County Public Schools, PP 27 - 28,