Fundamentals of Collection Development & Management

This four-week online course addresses the basic components of collection development and management (CDM) in libraries. The course was developed by Peggy Johnson, University of Minnesota. Complete definition of collection development and collection management

• Collections policies and budgets as part of library planning
• Collection development (selecting for and building collections)
• Collection management (evaluating and making decisions about existing collections, including decisions about withdrawal, transfer, preservation)
• Collection analysis—why and how to do it
• Outreach, liaison, and marketing
• Trends and some suggestions about the future for collection development and management

Outcomes

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the range of CDM responsibilities and the required skills and competencies
• List the elements in a collection development policy
• Write a collection development policy
• Explain the importance of collection analysis
• Perform one or more types of analysis
• Explain outreach and liaison responsibilities and be able to develop a plan to increase your activities in these areas

Who Should Attend

This is a fundamentals course that will appeal to anyone interested in the topic with no previous experience.

Taking a web course is different than taking a traditional course in a classroom. Read Are You Ready for Online Learning to make sure the web course structure is right for you.

Course Level & Prerequisites

This is a fundamentals course with no prerequisites.

Course Syllabus

Instructors

• Brian Quinn, Coordinator of Collection Development, Texas Tech University
• Susanne Clement, Director, Quinney Library, College of Natural Resources, Utah
• Jennifer Arnold, Director of Library Services, Central Piedmont Community College, North Carolina
• Jeanette Mosey, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Janet Marnatti, Collection Management Director, Bucks County Free Library, Pennsylvania
• Andrea Wirth, Science Librarian, Oregon State University, Oregon
• Melissa DeWild, Collection Development Manager, Kent District Library, Michigan

Dates & Times

• Session 1: March 19–April 13
• Session 2: May 7–June 1
• Session 3: August 20–September 14
• Session 4: October 1–October 26
• Session 5: November 19–December 14

Online chat sessions will be scheduled regularly thoughout the four-week course.

Credits

8 contact hours.

This course is one-third of the Collection Management elective course approved by the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP). Collection Management Elective FAQ

Fee

Technical Requirements

A Moodle-developed site is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructors. There are predetermined start and end dates and a suggested pace which include interaction with the instructors and your classmates. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. Section quizzes are offered and feedback given, but there is no final class grade.

The course web site will be open for one week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. The course site will remain open one week after the end date for students to complete any sections and submit the course evaluation survey.

How to Register

Contact

For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 and press 5 or email registration@ala.org.

For all other questions or comments related to the webinars, contact Julie Reese, ALCTS Events Manager at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5034 or jreese@ala.org.