How do you balance user needs in collection development?

2 Establish a policy

A collection development policy is a written document that guides the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and deselection of library materials. It should reflect the mission, vision, and goals of the library, as well as the needs and characteristics of the community. A policy can help you balance user needs in collection development by providing criteria, standards, and procedures for making decisions, as well as ensuring consistency, transparency, and accountability.

3 Involve users and stakeholders

One way to balance user needs in collection development is to involve them in the process. You can solicit suggestions, requests, and feedback from your users and stakeholders, such as staff, board members, funders, and partners. You can also create opportunities for user participation, such as book clubs, displays, reviews, and ratings. By engaging your users and stakeholders, you can foster a sense of ownership, collaboration, and satisfaction with the collection.

4 Diversify your sources

Another way to balance user needs in collection development is to diversify your sources of information and materials. You can use various tools and methods to find and evaluate potential items for your collection, such as catalogs, databases, reviews, awards, bestsellers, and recommendations. You can also explore different formats, genres, languages, and perspectives to ensure that your collection reflects the diversity and complexity of your community.

5 Monitor and evaluate your collection

To balance user needs in collection development, you need to monitor and evaluate your collection regularly. You can use quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your collection, such as circulation, turnover, coverage, currency, quality, and user satisfaction. You can also use various techniques to weed out outdated, damaged, or irrelevant items from your collection, such as CREW, MUSTIE, or DUST. By monitoring and evaluating your collection, you can identify and address gaps, trends, and issues.

6 Adapt and innovate

Finally, to balance user needs in collection development, you need to adapt and innovate. You need to be aware of the changing information environment, user behavior, and library trends. You need to be flexible and responsive to the emerging and evolving needs and demands of your users. You need to be creative and proactive in finding new ways to enhance and promote your collection. By adapting and innovating, you can ensure that your collection remains relevant and valuable for your users.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?