Reinventing your Reference Collection
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This document provides guidance on reinventing school library reference collections for the 21st century. It discusses analyzing existing print reference collections to determine if materials are current, relevant, and accessible. While the purpose of reference collections in the 20th century was to provide instant answers to general questions, the purpose in the 21st century remains the same but with a focus on incorporating electronic resources. The document offers a step-by-step process to reinvent reference collections, beginning with analyzing the existing collection and user needs to inform a reference collection development plan that includes selection criteria and programming for print and electronic materials.
Reinventing your Reference Collection
- 1. Reinventing your Reference Collection for the 21st Century Tools and tips for creating a 21st century school library print reference collection Cynthia Houston, Ph.D. Western Kentucky University Program in Library Media Education
- 2. What is in your reference collection? QUESTIONS: Do you currently have a print reference collection in your school library? Where is it located? How many titles do you have on the shelves? What is the average age of these titles? How evenly balanced is your reference collection over the different Dewey or Universal Decimal Classifications? How many electronic reference titles your library have and how accessible are these items? Is your collection current, relevant, and accessible?
- 3. Is the Purpose of your Print Reference Collection Relevant? 20th Century Instant answers to general questions Dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, directories, etc. General knowledge sources Encyclopedias, handbooks, etc. First stop on the research process Instruction in the organization of information Browsing grounds for curious minds 21st Century Instant answers to general questions Dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, directories, etc. General knowledge sources Encyclopedias, handbooks, etc. First stop on the research process Instruction on the organization of information Browsing grounds for curious minds!
- 4. Reinvent your Reference Collection Step by Step Resources! ALA Reference Collection Plan Template http://www.alaeditions.org/files/Singer_Refere nce-Collection-Development-Policy- Template.docx IFLA School Library Guidelines http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school- libraries-resource-centers/publications/ifla- school-library-guidelines.pdf Reference resources. National Library of New Zealand: Services to Schools http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/school- libraries/collection-formats/reference- resources 1. Conduct a Collection Analysis by age, class, and format 2. Conduct a user needs analysis 3. Create a Reference Collection Development Plan that includes selection and deselection policies for materials in all formats, & information services programming 4. Weed all out of date materials 5. Make your reference collection an inviting gateway to information inquiry!