Collection+Development+Policy


 * __ Information and Reference Services- Collection Development Policy __**

** Necessary components: ** It is essential to identify the necessary components before embarking on the writing of a collection development policy.
 * Identifying users and their needs are an essential element of this.
 * The objectives of the collection are also vital in writing a collection development policy.
 * Selection criteria and tools, budgeting and collection maintenance will also be addressed.

** Purpose statement: ** The aim of this collection is to provide information on the 1916 Rising in time to coincide with the 2016 centenary. Collection development is aimed at those with an interest in the 1916 Rising and its centenary. ●The collection will include sources that will make it easier for the user to find either general information or an answer to a specific question about 1916. ●It is aimed at tourists who may come to Dublin for the centenary of the 1916 Rising. It is also planned that this collection will provide information to local people – both members and non-members of the library. ●It will include a section aimed specifically at visiting children and younger members of the library. ●It is also hoped that the collection will provide avenues of further research for those who wish to undertake it.

** Background Statement: ** The collection begins development in 2011, in advance of the 2016 celebration. This means that there was time to write the collection development policy and build up the collection. The broad topic of the 1916 Rising meant that careful selection had to be applied in order to prevent the collection from being too general, yet it had to be ensured that the information required did not necessitate too much background knowledge, as one of the aims of the collection is to encourage those with a general interest in the events of 1916. It will be housed in a library in central Dublin, as it is the most convenient location for tourists, as well as being the place where the majority of the 1916 Rising took place.

** Responsibility for collection development: ** Various librarians will share responsibility for the development of the collection. Through liaising and communication they will endeavour to ensure that the collection meets all user needs. They will assess and collect materials, as well as appraising the collection and highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the collection. It will also be their responsibility to identify gaps in the collection, and fill these gaps with appropriate material, selected as outlined in the policy. The material within this collection will be bought with funds allocated from the budget of 1916 Centenary Committee. This budget will be comprised of funds from many different sources- government funding, diaspora fundraising and local groups. Accounts will be kept and submitted on a regular basis.

** Mission, Goals & Objectives: ** Our mission is to develop a collection of literature and sources that will allow academic and non-academic users a one-stop source for information pertaining to the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. Our goal is to have this collection up and running within the next year in order for it to be a source for planning the celebrations as well as a source for people interested in travelling to Ireland for the celebrations. We hope that we can provide a portal both physically and electronically for this information in a cost effective manner.

** Target Audience: ** A collection policy statement often serves a wide audience (Johnson, 76). Thus, this statement aims itself at a general population interested in the event as well as academics and organisations who may require access to this information. We intend to cater to both academic and non-academic interests as well as primary and secondary schools. We also hope to market this collection to the wider Irish Diaspora through connections to Irish heritage associations abroad. We also hope that by gathering this collection years before the celebration it can be of use to governmental and non-governmental organisations who may be interested or invested in the event

** Budgeting and funding: ** The budget for this collection will be drawn from a government grant, donations and corporate sponsorship. The rough division of the funds will be: 10% salaries 30% physical space and equipment 40% books and various items in the collection 20% subscriptions- subscriptions will include one off journal article purchases and temporary subscriptions to newspaper databases.

** Evaluation Criteria: ** We will judge items based on the following criteria:
 * Scope
 * Quality of content
 * Accuracy of content
 * Currency
 * Authority of author/ publisher
 * Ease of use
 * Arrangement of material
 * Appropriateness to audience
 * Format
 * Cost

These are same criteria that were used in selecting reference tools, however we feel that they are also appropriate for the items within the collection.

Weeding should be done throughout the collection process since having too many unusable or uninteresting documents will make the collection team look unprofessional and/or the collection look cluttered thus drawing visitors away. This can be done through evaluating sources as we go along. After the collection initially opens, more attention can be giving to use and public interest in particular items; those that enrich the tourists’ view of the 1916 Rising and their experience of our collection will be retained, those that remain without being looked at often or skimmed past can probably be weeded out.
 * Weeding:**

As each reference tool is collected, it can be evaluated by the member of the team responsible for it. In turn, each additional item can be evaluated by the entire team to make sure it is relevant and also useful to the collection and the particular audience. This can also be done as the exhibition time progresses. For example, there is not much point having a great deal of scholarly journals and books if the main audience who views the collection are children or people who would not fully understand the theories included in such works.
 * Collection Evaluation:**

Policy revision should only be undertaken by the entire team, to avoid bias. It should be looked through every few months to make sure it is still relevant to the emerging needs and interests of the public in question
 * Policy Revision:**

The 1916 Easter Rising has always been a popular topic amongst those with an interest in Irish history, and with the impending centenary this popularity will only increase, and many libraries across the country will need to be prepared for a higher demand for certain resources, of which our collection is a part. It is important to identify which of our resources require multiple copies, and which can realistically be shared with other institutions. Also, with regards to digital databases belonging to other institutions, perhaps arrangements can be made to provide access to them from dedicated terminals for a limited time, in exchange for access to our own specialist collections.
 * Resource sharing:**

Our intention with this collection is to help visiting tourists gain an understanding of the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising. For the most part, these prospective readers will not have access to a permanent address whilst they are in Dublin, and will not be able to borrow items.
 * User Services:**
 * With this in mind, it is imperative that our facilities have sufficient space for our visitors to view the resources in relative comfort.
 * Whilst there will be multiple copies of the smaller works, there will only be one each of the larger reference tools, and they will need to be time-managed.
 * A booking system will be put in place, so that tourists working within a limited time- frame can make the most out of their stay.
 * Specialist staff will also be on hand to assist with queries.
 * We would also like for a substantial part of the collection to be accessible to younger readers, as children will be interested in this topic as well; especially if they have an ancestral link, or they have a school project to deliver when they get home.

As we intend to procure original works for this collection, we do not foresee any issues regarding copyright. There is one exception: that is the possibility that patrons may wish to make copies of certain materials for personal reasons, such as genealogy research. In appropriate cases, we support the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law, which permits and protects citizens’ rights to reproduce and make other uses of copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship and research.
 * Copyright:**

The library contains a range of formats of material. Cost and audience are two factors we consider when choosing what formats to include. Our collection will mainly include books in print format as paper is the preferred format for most reference materials. They will mostly be hardbound for durability reasons. This format includes textbooks which give a good general introduction to the 1916 Easter Rising, encyclopedias, biographies, bibliographies, dictionaries and almanacs which contain information relating to 1916. Our collection will also include some information in electronic format which is important due to availability and accessibility for users. This will include web links, databases and e-books. Generally, we will only have one format of a certain title available. However, this will have to be assessed on frequency of use of the items. Our collection will mostly be in the English language and may include some works in Irish.
 * Format:**

This includes documents produced by government departments including parliamentary publications, legislation, policy documents, statistics and reports. Our collection is not an appropriate location for most of these publications however our collection will include a copy of the proclamation in print format.
 * Government publications:**

Our collection will cater for a wide range of resource groups including tourists, academics, and the general public. While the overall collection will focus on a general audience bibliographies and indexes will be provided to aid academics in furthering their research. We also have some children’s books on the 1916 rising.
 * Treatment of specific resource groups:**

Our collection is very specific and the library will select valuable items for the collection which are useful to enhance the collection and to make it more comprehensive. Primary source documents would be of benefit to the collection including postcards, diaries, letters etc. The library will consider the cost of including such items and evaluate what would be suitable for our collection. Some items may need more maintenance than others and the library will insure that the collection is looked after correctly. Material will be continually purchased to keep the collection current and to offer new perspectives to users.
 * Special collections:**

The Library collection of 1916 will challenge censorship, giving the library user unrestricted access to any information through any communication medium available. If a library user has an objection about any material in the library collection, he/she has the right to inform the library staff and a complaint form can be filed. The Senior Reference or the Director in consultation with the library staff will consider the material in question and notify the complainant of their decision after investigation.
 * Intellectual freedom:**

The Reference librarian will be responsible for selecting and sourcing suitable material for the library collection. These guidelines should be followed when selecting materials:

1 Strength and weakness of the existing collection

2 Judged usefulness of the work.

3 Favourable reviews of the works.

4 Credibility of the author.

5 Adherence to the collection development codes. (Hoffman and Wood, 2005,159)

The Acquisition Librarian will divide up the annual book fund according to what materials need to be acquired to develop the collection. The staff should let the Acquisition Librarian know what items are needed to be purchased for the collection. The Librarians should read professional literature on the subject area to source the relevant materials for the collection.


 * Gifts and Exchange:**

The Library would welcome any material that would enhance our collection. However, if the library feels that the item is not suitable, there are space constraints, or the item is considered worn-out, then the policy would be to refuse the item. The library is willing to accept monetary gifts but must be accompanied with a completed gift form signed by the donor.


 * Collection Maintenance:**

The Library is committed to the preservation of our collection. This entails book repairs when needed, along with weeding, replacing and ensuring the collection is secure from theft.

Hoffmann, F & Wood R. (2005). //Library Collection Development Policies//. Maryland:Scarecrow Press Inc.

Johnson, P. (2009). //Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management//. Chicago: American Library Association.