Information Organization

Collection Management is one of the harderst areas of librarianship that I struggle with. Before being properly trained and being thrown into the fire, I had to rapidly learn how to run the operations of the library, which are vast! Especially for a solo school librarian. There are so many nuances to the processes of managing a library collection. From selection of titles that students actually will use, to finding the appropriate vendor and navigating the hurdles of the acquisition process, streamlining technical services that prepare the many books to be placed on shelves, classification and cataloging that determines which shelves, establishing policies for loans that maintain your collections, and preservation efforts like repairs and weeding that makes more room on those shelves for new books. Weeding is my least favorite as I am a book softy and question the removal of most titles, but it is a necessary evil. Again, Raganathan reminds us that books are for use and libraries are a living organism, just like a garden. If books do not circulate or have become obsolete, they must be weeded to not only make room, but ensure quality over quantity and that students can find desirable books. All of the above must be performed with the understanding their are differences between organizational settings like a school library. My patrons are high school students with very specific needs and interests. Same could be said for the teachers I support. Assessing my user needs is probably the most critical part of collection management, along with the subsequent assessment of my collection and programs to determine if I am meeting those needs and where to improve. All processes need to anchored with the understanding of that we serve a school population and need to satisfy those specific needs.   

SUBTOPIC #1 Evidence: 

When discussing ethical and legal access to materials we come to an increasingly controversial topic of intellectual freedom. I wrote a research paper on the topic, and like the ALA and their many delcerations and statements on the matter, I feel intellectual freedom is deeply rooted in our democracy via the first amendment, and that it is an integral part in improving the social good. Per the ALA’s Code of Ethics, “we affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces” (2021). School library collections, programs, and services should attempt to aspire to such admirable goals, most do, which can be problematic through the lens of intellectual freedom. Sure we have legal obligations like following copyright and protecting intellectual property, but we must also adhere to the rights of guardians over their students that may trump student privacy rights. Additionally, we must respectfully accept materials challenges from stakeholders and have procedures that somehow provide due process while attempting to protect intellectual freedoms. This becomes especially difficult when challenges are significantly related to topics on diversity. It is a fine line, but school librarians must attempt to provide ethical protections to the intellectual freedoms of our students while also following our legal obligations.  

SUBTOPIC #2 Evidence: 

Above: Copyright Police presentation to staff.