COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF LIBRARY

RESOURCES IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

Presented by :

Mrs. Pushpinder Kaur

M.Sc. (Chem.) M.Lib & Inf. Sc.,

Librarian. GHGH College of Education,

Sidhwan Khurd,

Ludhiana.

INTRODUCTION It has been quite a long since we traversed from library management to information technology management. The efficiency of the library services is governed largely by the quantity and quality i.e. the no. of books and utility of its collection. With the impact of IT and use of e-resources, it has become imperative for information professionals to redefine the process of Collection Development. Collection Development Policy is standard library practice for publicly declaring a library’s intent of the material and preservation of the reading material.

CONCEPT

Activities included

Assessing the users need

Evaluating the present collection

Determining selection policy

Co-ordinating selection of items

Re-evaluating

Preserving

Planning for resource sharing.

Collection development is the process of acquiring books/documents and non-print media needed to satisfy request for the information needs and to attain systems objectives.

Functions of collection development

Library staff

Academic staff

User’s Analysis

Selection Policies

Acquisition Policies

Resource Sharing

Weeding

Collection Evaluation

Importance of Collection Development Effective selection for tailoring acquisitions to available funds and to render collection more cost effective.

Inf. Explosion – meant to enrich library collection.

Can be attained through purchase, gifts and even exchange from other libraries or through donations.

It will boost the staff, for better performance and for a continuous, consistent and balanced growth of a library.

Collection Development and e-resources

• Larger and more complex set of resources because of the emerging technologies.

• These include analogue versions of books, journals, encyclopaedias, e-journals, e-books and on-line databases.

Collection Development Policy

Design of policy statement

• Communicating tool, who is responsible for what?• Serves as a budgeting tool.• Main elements included : Library’s mission statement,

statement of general policies concerning collection development and detailed analysis of what will be collected.

Written statement of principles guiding the library’s selection of materials including the criteria used in making selection and deselection, decisions and policies concerning gifts and exchange. Technology related factors have to be incorporated in the policy.

Functions

Provides guidelines to develop collection according to set goals, information about nature, scope and thrust area of collection development.Set standards.Reduces influences and bias.Acts as a guide for new staff.Helps in budgeting, assessing, overall performance, accountability and a tool for communication.

Who should select ?

Members of faculty are usually charged with the

responsibility for selecting materials in support of

courses and programmes, whereas the librarian

and library staff are held responsible for selecting

general reference to books, periodicals and other

material intended for general recreational

reading.

Process of Collection Development It is a continuous cycle as long as library or information create centre exists.

Basic focus on meeting the information needs of the community.

Collection Development Process(Krishan Gopal, 2003)

Community Profile

Community Analysis

Evaluation

Deslection

Library Staff

Acquisition

Selection policies

Selection

a) Community Profile and Analysis Provides general characteristics about the community to which the library serves. After community profile there need assessment is done. Enhances the understanding (done either through research or survey).

b) Collection goals Represents objectives and priorities of the library for various aspects of collection.

c) Selection • Certain statements could be laid down e.g. About fictionsd) Acquisition • Description for acquiring the documents and statements covering the

handling of gifted items e) Evaluation • Includes strengths and weaknesses in different areas f) Preservation• Action taken to preserve digital objects whether created from analog

collection or born digital objects.• Conservation of original analog objects.• Earlier it was done through Lamination, Encapsulation, Microfilming but

now the trend is towards digital preservation. g) Digital Preservation • Storage, maintenance and accessibility of a digital object over the long

term usually as a consequences of applying one or more digital preservation strategies.

• These strategies may include technology preservation, technology emulation or data migration.

Purpose : Ensures protection of information of enduring value for access by present and future generation.

Objectives• To maintain historical value of information • To make it easy to use and handle.• To make information survive longer.• To provide world wide accessibility. Preservation approach • Software hardware migration.• Concern regarding physical deterioration of digital

media.• Metadata should be accessible as data • Question of users need and preferences.

Storage of media

Magnetic media

Optical media (more durable)

Can also be second or more full set in an off-site location to guard against the risk of theft, fire and similar disaster.

AdvantagesSpace saving, easy access, easy to handle, easy to transmit, time saving, low cost, less manpower involved.

Disadvantages

• Installation process complex and costly • Lack of infrastructure• Insufficient budget• Shortage of expertise• Durability only upto certain years

h) Weeding Worn out and unused material should be discarded

Role of libraries

Librarian will have to initiate the transition to an access-based model of service based upon electronic networks that will provide bibliographic, numeric and full text information to scholars and researchers.Willingness amongst librarians to adopt multimedia technology is a must for collection and preservation of important and regularly used documents beside handling conventional resources

Conclusion Collection development deals with reinterpretation of traditional library mission and practices for the digital library environment. Information professionals have to actively develop, maintain and manage wide range of resources. If libraries do not adopt this change, they will become museum of old information. With the advent of IT the task remains the same, only tools have changed and IT has become a handy told to do all jobs in the libraries so that it can help different users effectively and efficiently.

THANKS