Collection Development Policies in Public Libraries in Australia: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Purpose Too often, academic library selectors of DVDs purchase Japanese animation (anime) for their popularity without any further concern of their important contributions to the combined wealth of researches of an academic library. The purpose of this paper is to offer considerations for an academic selector to ponder before adding this particular type of animation. These considerations do not necessary pertain to the collection development considerations for selectors at public libraries. Design/methodology/approach This paper will discuss the major problems of actively adding anime to an academic library, the present areas of concern, and will offer warnings and suggestions based on a conceptual framework of anime having true academic value. Findings Anime cannot be chosen independently as if it has any apparently intrinsic value sui generis. Anime must be added concomitantly according to the collection development policies with other resources, especially DVDs, to create a full, rich and useful collection to scholars. Originality/value Academic studies concerning anime and collection development for academic libraries are usually comprised of only long lists of suggested anime, with no further discussions about its implications to the general worth of an academic library. This paper offers no such lists. Instead, it offers considerations selectors must take into account before investing time and money adding anime to an academic library collection.

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An intersectional quantitative content analysis of the LGBTQ+ catalogue in Irish public libraries

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science ◽

10.1177/0961000619898212 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (4) ◽

pp. 1028-1041

Author(s):

Pete Hicks ◽

Páraic Kerrigan

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

City Council ◽

Collection Development ◽

Quantitative Content Analysis ◽

Library System ◽

Gay Male ◽

Quantitative Content ◽

Male Experience

LGBTQ+ youths in the Republic of Ireland report statistically higher levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts than their heteronormative peers, which can be attributed to bullying and homophobic rhetoric. Research indicates that community services, such as public libraries, can play a role in mitigating the mental health risks of this group. However, there is no formal policy within the Irish public library system directing the collection and provision of LGBTQ+ materials and services to anyone, let alone youths. Previous international studies have shown that, in the absence of a guiding intersectional collection development policy, LGBTQ+ library materials are overwhelmingly representative of the gay, white, adult male experience, to the detriment of other groups within the LGBTQ+ community. Conducting a quantitative content analysis of the Dublin City Council Public Library catalogue through the lens of intersectionality theory confirms that the Irish public library system is not an exception to this trend. Results indicate that catalogue materials containing LGBTQ+ metadata favor the adult, gay, male experience – as well as the youth, gay, male experience – over adult and young women. This trend is particularly noticeable among the eBook catalogue, an area that the Irish public library system has directly identified as a strategic target for collection development. Conclusions align with previous qualitative studies on LGBTQ+ provision in Irish libraries in that a comprehensive organizational policy document is needed to provide direction and enable funding for the development of the LGBTQ+ section of the library system’s catalogue.

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Consulting the community : how customers' needs are reflected in public library collection development policies

10.26686/wgtn.17005336.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Sarah Marion Osborne

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Collection Development ◽

The Public ◽

Community Needs ◽

Development Policies ◽

Study Participants

<p>This study is an investigation into the methods of community consultation that are undertaken by a sample of New Zealand public library managers during the formulation and application of their libraries' collection development policies. The gathering of information about the needs and wants of customers helps ensure that the public library is practicing responsive collection development. A qualitative methodology is used, consisting of in-depth interviews with a sample of library managers from medium-sized, non-metropolitan public libraries in the lower North Island of New Zealand. Discussion during the interviews centres upon the participants' use of community needs analysis techniques; both "direct" community consultative methods, and "indirect" data analysis methods. The role that formal collection development policies play in the participants' institutions is discussed, together with the relative importance of informal collection development policies, practices and procedures. The study's findings reveal that the process of collection development policy formulation is less well-structured than that described in the literature, and that informal policies, practices and procedures are used to inform day-to-day collection management activities. The application of community consultative techniques by the study participants is less well-developed than descriptions of its use in the international literature.</p>

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Consulting the community : how customers' needs are reflected in public library collection development policies

10.26686/wgtn.17005336 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Sarah Marion Osborne

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Public Library ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Collection Development ◽

The Public ◽

Community Needs ◽

Development Policies ◽

Study Participants

<p>This study is an investigation into the methods of community consultation that are undertaken by a sample of New Zealand public library managers during the formulation and application of their libraries' collection development policies. The gathering of information about the needs and wants of customers helps ensure that the public library is practicing responsive collection development. A qualitative methodology is used, consisting of in-depth interviews with a sample of library managers from medium-sized, non-metropolitan public libraries in the lower North Island of New Zealand. Discussion during the interviews centres upon the participants' use of community needs analysis techniques; both "direct" community consultative methods, and "indirect" data analysis methods. The role that formal collection development policies play in the participants' institutions is discussed, together with the relative importance of informal collection development policies, practices and procedures. The study's findings reveal that the process of collection development policy formulation is less well-structured than that described in the literature, and that informal policies, practices and procedures are used to inform day-to-day collection management activities. The application of community consultative techniques by the study participants is less well-developed than descriptions of its use in the international literature.</p>

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Health information: print materials assessment in public libraries

Reference Services Review ◽

10.1108/rsr-02-2016-0010 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 163-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mary Grace Flaherty ◽

Samantha Jan Kaplan

Keyword(s):

Health Information ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Collection Development ◽

Content Type ◽

Common Reference ◽

Development Policies ◽

Statewide Assessment ◽

Online Catalogs ◽

Print Materials ◽

Subject Areas

Purpose The purpose this study was to determine currency of print health materials readily available in North Carolina public libraries, through a statewide assessment. Two subject areas were examined: health reference and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 randomly selected public libraries were visited and unobtrusive stacks assessments were completed. Some months later, the libraries’ websites were examined for collection development policies, and online catalogs were searched using the keyword diabetes to identify possible discrepancies and additions. Findings For visits, publication dates for reference books ranged from 1899-2014 and the average number of holdings was 10 (range 0-30). The most common reference item, the AMA Family Medical Guide (2005), was available in 6 of 30 libraries. In diabetes collections, publication dates ranged from 1983-2013; the average number of books was nine (range 0-26). The Atkins Diabetes Revolution (2004) was the most common, available in 9 of 30 libraries. Two-thirds of libraries did not have a collection development policy online. Catalog searches revealed 10 titles prior to 1983 and 18 titles (non-cook books) from 2014-2016. Practical implications The study found overall that print health reference books were outdated. In diabetes collections, there were also many outdated items. It appears that regular weeding to assure currency of print health literature is not taking place. Originality/value The study demonstrates that public libraries may not be providing optimal print health information. With unprecedented access, it is imperative that librarians in all types of settings aid in health literacy promotion by assuring access to reliable and timely health information.

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Support local: Public libraries and local authors

Pathfinder: A Canadian Journal for Information Science Students and Early Career Professionals ◽

10.29173/pathfinder40 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 52-58

Author(s):

Rynnelle Wiebe

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Content Analysis ◽

Public Libraries ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Community Support ◽

Community Members ◽

Systemic Analysis ◽

Library Community ◽

Library Collections

In 2020 we have experienced movements to support local creators, restaurants, and businesses; how can the library community support local authors? This extended abstract discusses research conducted about how public libraries support local authors, with a focus on how these works are included in library collections and made findable to community members. Twelve public libraries from British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan were selected for analysis of collection policies and item metadata. Qualitative content analysis is used to code collection policies, and systemic analysis of item metadata is used to understand methods of identifying locally-authored items. The results of this research indicate that collection policies provide both opportunities and barriers for including locally-authored items and there is a lack of consistent methods for identifying items as locally-authored within item metadata. Some of these barriers can be attributed to the challenge of identifying and defining “local authorship”. This extended abstract will conclude with recommendations for how libraries can modify collection policies and methods of identifying items as locally-authored in order to support local authors and make these items more accessible to the community.

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