Free Collection Development Workshop for Colorado Youth Services Staff

Registration is open and room is still available for all three of the FREE regional sessions about collection development for youth services staff, led by Carol Edwards! These sessions are great for ALL youth services library staff, not just those directly responsible for selecting and purchasing materials for collections.

  • May 4: Estes Valley Library
  • May 5: Greenhorn Valley Library, Colorado City
  • May 10: Montrose Regional Library

All sessions will be 10:00 to 3:00. The sessions are free; lunch will be on your own (bring your own, or discover a great local restaurant). Please learn more about the sessions below, and register online at https://www.research.net/r/2016YSCollDev.

Session description

Whether your library is large or small, you have to select the right things, and get rid of the ones that no longer fit. Shaping your collection of resources and materials is a both an art form and dedicated work. Think about the goal of collection development and come ready to discuss in this interactive session.

  • Collection Development Policy: Bring yours if you have one. These are often more living documents than we realize and comparing several policies may bring up new ideas for your own. If you don’t have one, this is an ideal way to hear from those that do.
  • Allocating Resources: Deciding how and why you are going to buy what and how much.  Percentages are our friends, but bring all your ideas about stretching the budgets to make sure you match your library’s priorities.
  • De-Accessioning:  A long word for weeding out the old, stale, ugly and out-of-date materials that no longer meet the needs of your users, or customers or patrons. Whatever you call the people you serve, they are at the heart of this process.
  • Diversity:  The subtle and often hidden message you send to your community when the collection is looked at through many different lenses. What is good? What is not? How to distinguish between the two?

This session is appropriate for library staff that work with all ages of children and teens; it’s also great for all youth services staff, not just those directly responsible for collection development and acquisition. Come prepared to share your ideas, challenges and opportunities!

About Carol Edwards

Carol Edwards, recently retired from Denver Public Library and currently working as SPELL Project Coordinator, has worked in many kinds of libraries: small, large, big systems and tiny.  Her interest in collections is supported by a passion for stories in all their forms, and she has served on several evaluation committees with ALA, and most recently, Colorado Book Awards.

Amy Hitchner
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