Print

Introduction 3 His words are written down for all to read, recorded for all to hear. They are in every library in the nation” (p. 10A). We also believe that libraries will continue to do so well into the future. Rivkah Sass (2017) shared an interesting thought about today’s library environment, noting: “Sometimes I worry that in our quest to find the next new library thing, we are so busy debating whatever our current library buzzwords are—future, relevancy, outcomes, library service—and so busy competing with one another to be the first to offer the latest new ‘thing’ in library service, whatever that may be, that we forget the fundamentals of why we exist” (p. xi). Although not explicitly stated by Sass, clearly one of those “fundamentals” is the library’s role in providing access to information in all its forms. This book addresses how a library goes about creating and maintaining appropriate collections of information resources for its users. What Is Collection Management? Today, the short answer to that question is the process by which library staff members determine what resources will be available to users—the “col- lection.” Needless to say, what constitutes the collection is very different from its makeup not all that long ago. As the components of the collection have expanded, so have the challenges in creating the most appropriate content while balancing those money and staffing constraints Bryant identified. Another term in use for the process is collection development (CD). That term relates to an aspect of collection management. CD focuses on the identifica- tion and acquisition of information materials that address user interests/ needs while staying within established policy guidelines and financial con- straints. CD also has some role in collection policy and budget development. (CD policies are covered in chapter 4, while budgeting is covered in chapter 8.) Collection management (CM), however, involves those activities and more. One important aspect is proposing a budget for acquiring resources and managing the funds that become available. Another difference is CM involves the ongoing assessment of the collection—what is still of interest to users, what is not, and how to handle the less important materials as well as taking into consideration preservation responsibilities. Other types of organizations also have information management/trans- fer issues some of the terms used in these environments are information Check These Out Perhaps one of the most comprehensive recent histories of libraries is the three-­ volume set entitled The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland, edited by Peter Hoare (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Volume 1 covers up until 1640, volume 2 covers 1640 to 1850, and volume 3 covers 1850 to 2000. Michael Harris’ History of Libraries in the Western World, 4th ed. (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1999) is an excellent summary of library history. An easy to read title about publishing, the book, and society is Ted Striphas’ The Late Age of Print: Everyday Book Culture from Consumerism to Control (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009). The Library History Round Table of the American Library Association also publishes a semi-annual ­ bibliography of library history: http://​www​.ala​.org​/rt​/lhrt​ /popularresources​/libhistorybib​/libraryhistory.