Use the basic concepts and principles related to the selection, evaluation, organization, and preservation of physical and digital information items
A library is a repository, a storehouse, if you may, of information. Except that the information is not merely being stored, but is also available to be accessed at any time. Evans & Saponaro (2012) stated that “libraries are the only institutions to have long-term preservation of important societal information as part of its expected function” (p. 2). That information takes the form of monograph books, academic journals, trade magazines, newspapers, DVDs, CDs, online databases. There is, although not an endless amount of information, but a very large amount of information available in the world. Interestingly, it has only been in the last 50 years that information has become not only a tool for learning, but also “an economic good or product” with an established monetary value (Evans & Saponaro, 2012, p. 7). Information costs money, and information has a utility value. Information is protected by copyright law. In sum, information is power. I suppose that is why the time we live in is called “the Information Age.” Libraries, uniquely, provide information for free to any person who comes and desires information (at least in the case of public libraries). The collection of information by libraries is not free, however, and libraries need to consider the budgetary “leash” they are hooked to in considering which information fits the needs of their organization. The library needs to consider not only the present need for information, but future information needs, dictated by changes in community composition. I am incorporating two pieces of evidence. For the first piece of evidence relating to this competency, I am incorporating an assignment I completed for INFO 266, in which I had to select items for a public library in the San Jose area, on the basis of a 750 USD allocation. I was required to review pertinent community data, and make decisions about what items would meet the needs of this community now and in the future. For my second piece of evidence, I am submitting an annotated bibliography (which were originally blog posts) of reference resources relating to the Japanese American experience, which I completed for INFO 210. This assignment was designed for use by reference librarians as a pathfinder to help them select materials for research projects relating to this community.
When I enter the library “world,” I will be faced with many decisions about deciding how to select and evaluate information. For one, I will need to evaluate information against a “collection development” policy in considering whether to select it for patrons. Libraries either need to formulate a collection development policy, or already have a collection development policy, through which information is evaluated, in light of the institutional goals and the considered utility for the end user, through various criterion set out in the policy document. According to Disher (2014) good collection development policy will include an introduction, a objectives statement (or a statement that reflects the mission, vision, and goals of the organization), a description of the community that library serves, and describe the person (or board) in the organization responsible for the implementation of the collection development policy. Particularly in the case of a public library, a collection development policy should also incorporate foundational intellectual freedom documents (e.g., Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to read Statement, et al.). A section should discuss the specific criteria used to select items. A collection development policy will also include a section on special collections (some even include a section on newer digital or electronic collections). Many patrons and other community members will bring “gifts” of information items, but not all of these items will fit the selection criteria, so include a gifts discussion. Finally, discuss the criteria for weeding the collection (deselecting materials) which no longer meet the requirements of the collection development policy (providing the policy is regularly evaluated by the stakeholders in the information organization), and how challenges to materials in the collection are handled (pp. 37-38). Another area I will need to consider is community analysis, which taking information about present community composition (e.g., population size, age structure, numerical size of ethnic groups relative to the entire population, income, educational attainment, et al.), to determine whether the programs the library is providing meet the needs of the community I am serving and what communities are needing attention.
References
Evans, G. E., & Saponaro, M. Z. (2012). Library and Information Science Text : Collection Management Basics (6th Edition). Santa Barbara, CA, USA: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com
Disher, W. (2014) Crash course in collection development. (2nd Edition). Santa Barbara, CA, USA: ABC-CLIO. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com