Collection Development... Why We Buy What We Buy

Do you ever wonder how items are selected for the library? All the librarians have collection development responsibilities in a number of subject areas - a little over 50 different subjects. We also have a collection development policy which includes the guidelines for what we order as well as the criteria for selecting. Finally, we meet once a month to talk about what we're all doing, how we're spending our monies, and discuss possible future scenarios and trends in collection development; we then select reference materials together. This year the adult budget is $93,000 for books; $50,000 for reference items; and $13,000 for audiovisual materials. Some of the publications we use to preview upcoming new books are Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Advance Magazine (Advance comes from the company we buy most of our books from). We receive numerous publishers' catalogs too and even have an account at Borders when we need items fast! We are always willing to consider purchasing items requested and/or suggested by our library patrons. (In most cases we do.) So, meet the collection development team and let them each tell you what they do. They are all available for comments and suggestions by phone or e mail - or better yet, stop and visit in person.

Meet the Team

Zina Shevchik: "What do Travel, Social Issues, New York State and Maps all have in common? Me! I evaluate and choose which adult books to buy for our library's collection in these four areas. I do that with the assistance and recommendations from our library users, from fellow library workers, and from professionals in the library field who evaluate and publish reviews of books, videos and sound recordings. I also keep watch on what materials are being promoted in the various media venues. Although I venture from home by air, sea or land only a couple times a year, I am an avid armchair traveler. Travel and map materials generally need to be as current as possible for optimal usefulness. I spend a great deal of my time keeping the materials in our collection up to date and full of recently published material. Balance is also a concern. While we could never have enough circulating books on Walt Disney World because of its popularity as a vacation spot, we must still have some materials on less visited locales such as the South Pacific or Hong Kong. A self-professed public affairs and news junkie, I worked in libraries as a government and law documents specialist before coming to the Colonie Library. This interest and experience has segued nicely into my current collection 'duties' in Social Issues and New York State current events. The satisfaction that comes with being able to provide the right information at the right time to the customer has always been the motivation behind my library work ethic. Handling requests for information at the Reference Desk is one way to accomplish that. But so is anticipating need through collection development. Email me with any suggestions for additions to our collection." E mail: shevchiz@uhls.lib.ny.us.

Maureen DeLaughter: "After 13 very enjoyable years in the Youth Services Department where I was responsible for buying audio materials for children, I recently moved to the adult side of the library. Discovering new books with children during story hour was a favorite part of the job while there, and now, discovering new books on the adult side of the library has become a favorite 'duty' of mine. Librarians are lucky people. We are surrounded by books and by people who love books. Not a day goes by that I don't get a recommendation from a coworker or patron about a 'must read' item. My collection development responsibilities now include Self Help, Psychology, Education, How-to, Gardening and Landscaping, Collectibles, Hobbies, Crafts, Needlepoint, Games, Interior Design, and Nature. There are always new self help books coming out on the market and programs like the Oprah Winfrey Show have helped make certain titles very much in demand. This is an area of development for which I especially welcome input from our patrons. I share the subject of education with David Cole. David buys college guides and test preparation materials while I buy books on education as related to its place in American society. After rehabilitating an early 19th Century home from the bottom up, I feel not only qualified to order 'how-to' books, but could probably write a book on the topic! If you are building a new home, our floor plan books which are updated annually may interest you, while those just looking to do a little remodeling will enjoy our wonderful collection of interior design books. The Craft and Needlework collection is strong enough to inspire anyone to begin a new project. There is a saying that as long as a needle-worker has an unfinished project tucked away, she will never die. If the saying is true, many needle-workers, myself included, will live forever. Unlike the simple drawings in craft books of yesterday, most of the new books today have beautiful color illustrations and detailed directions. I can only provide you with the tempting books, whether or not you finish the project is entirely up to you! In spring, true gardeners can focus on nothing but planting, and a visit to our gardening and landscaping section will inspire you to gardening greatness. I welcome suggestions from our patrons for additions to any of my collection areas. Please call, or e-mail me." E mail address: delaughterm@uhls.lib.ny.us

Joe Nash: "After 15 years of working in busy libraries, first in Philadelphia, then Guilderland, and now Colonie, I like to think I'm pretty good at knowing what people will take out of the library. I order books in the areas of Science, Biographies, World History, American History, South American History, and, as the Dewey Decimal book puts it, General History of Other Areas - which is basically, Oceania. I also order for the subjects Math and the Paranormal (always a popular section in the library) and will be ordering with David Cole for a new category this year because of a need we've noticed: Books in Foreign Languages. I'm a big reader of nonfiction and in many ways feel I am a typical library patron so I try to select not just books that are obvious choices, like bestsellers and books by name authors, but I also try to select books that I would like to read or think that other library patrons would read. Sometimes it's a roll of the dice, but after 15 years I think I'm doing pretty good. One thing I like to do is check on books I've ordered a few months later. It's always gratifying to see that almost all of them have gone out many, many times." E mail address: nashj@uhls.lib.ny.us

Peggy Mello: "I have three major collection development areas - which are also three of the busiest sections of the library: Computer Books, Cookbooks, and Medical Books. When I consider purchasing a computer book for the library, I think about what I feel our library users would like to learn. Having taught the library's advanced Internet class for a few years, I have talked with many library patrons and gotten a feel for what they want to know or learn. Many times they focus on wanting introductory computer and Internet materials, since so many people are buying computers and using them for the first time. I also attempt to acquire titles that teach new versions of software/operating systems that are being released. As for cookbooks, fortunately I am an avid fan of cooking shows on television. Unlike computer books and medical books, cookbooks can remain in a library's collection without becoming too 'out of date.' If I had an unlimited budget, I would be tempted to purchase every new cookbook that is released, but I have to be a bit selective. Many times I will either choose a new title from a well-known author/series, or will attempt to fill in gaps in the collection. A good tip for searching the library catalog for cookbooks: use the word cookery as a subject search. Finally, when I started library school, I also had a strong interest in medicine and studied to be a medical librarian. (That was even my senior project in high school!) I allowed these interests to lead me into volunteering at various ambulance services and working in several local hospitals for a number of years. This knowledge makes materials selection in the medical area a bit easier. When selecting material for the medical collection, I always consider whether the information comes from an authoritative source and whether it is up to date. There are certain authors or series that are no-brainers, and we will purchase these items as soon as we are aware of their publication." E mail address: mellop@uhls.lib.ny.us

Richard Naylor: "My current responsibilities for collection development include the areas of Business & Finance, Law & Government, Religion & Philosophy, and Automobiles. When looking for new books to add or considering a title for weeding, I take two general approaches to selection. First I try to make sure we have something for each major topic and sub-topic. Most of the areas can be easily divided into such groups. For example, in business we have major areas such as accounting, marketing, and human resources. And we have sub areas of each of these. In the case of human resources we have sub areas such as interviewing, motivation, hiring, and performance appraisal. It is important that the library have a good book always available for each of these subject areas. While some people come to the library to find a good book on a given topic, others are looking for a specific book or a new book. For these cases I look for a core collection of major books in each area as well as scan the publishing lists for what I hope are the new books people want to read. There is some logic to the way we have assigned subject areas. In my case I have an MBA, so that fits for the business and helps with the law. I also took quite a few classes in philosophy in college and continue to read in that area. Like most people, I have found that the more I know about a subject area, the more I want to know." E mail: naylorr@uhls.lib.ny.us

Dave Cole: "In the twenty years that I have been at the library, I've had the opportunity to experience working in virtually every department of the building. At one time, I did almost all of the Collection Development. As the collection continued to grow and become more diverse, the job of ordering was split among the librarians. I continue to order the Fiction as well as the non-fiction for Fishing, Hunting, Sports, Vocation and Animals. I also select the compact discs, talking books and videos. I read both fiction and non-fiction with a special interest in mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and suspense novels. I also read some romance novels with my reading groups. One of my most enjoyable duties at the library has been my reading groups based at two Senior Citizens facilities. One group has been active for 19 years and the other for eleven years. The membership has changed over the years, but these groups are one of the joys of my life. We meet at Carondelet and the Eddy in Troy. I am currently the head of the Youth Services Department. I am involved in programming, reference, and the management of a very busy part of the library! As my job experiences (and life experiences) broaden, so too, does my interest and knowledge of audio materials and literature. When I'm not at work, I enjoy hiking, outdoor sports, and spending time with my wife and teenage boys." E mail: coled@uhls.lib.ny.us

Bill Leone: "Ancient library creed would have us believe that the ultimate goal of any library is to provide 'the right book for the right reader at the right time.' While today we might want to substitute 'DVD,' 'Web Site,' 'Recorded Book,' or whatever, for 'book,' it is still the fundamental principle of collection development. Choosing the 'right book' presupposes some sort of expertise on the part of the individual with collection development responsibilities in particular subject areas. My collection development responsibilities include the areas of Language (Foreign Languages as well as English as a Second Language), Literature (including Poetry and Plays), Performing Arts, Art and Music. These subject areas are a perfect match, considering my background and interests. I came to the Albany area to pursue a graduate degree in theatre at SUNY Albany just after having completed an eight-month tour of the U.S. as an actor with the National Shakespeare Company. After receiving my degree, I joined the faculty of the Theatre Department, where I taught courses in voice, acting, directing, and theatre history for close to 20 years. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I had the privilege of directing some very gifted student actors in many department productions, among which included Equus, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Amadeus, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, The Glass Menagerie, The Seagull, and Angels In America: Millennium Approaches. During those years at SUNY, I was able, periodically, to take leave to work in regional theatre as a professional actor. I appeared locally at Capital Rep in their productions of The Cherry Orchard and Twelfth Night. Those experiences away from the classroom as a working actor certainly enriched my teaching of acting. Since coming to the library, my weekend plans often include taking in a film at the Spectrum or driving down to NYC to see the latest theatrical fare or hear great singers at the Metropolitan Opera. For the past several years, I have traveled to the U.K. to catch up on the theatre scene in London, making the obligatory stop at the great National Gallery of Art. My current involvement in the performing arts, albeit on the other side of the footlights, helps to inform decisions I make about what to add to (or remove from!) the library's shelves." E mail address: leoneb@uhls.lib.ny.us

Anne Stutzman
Developing collections for Art, Vocations, Genealogy, and Commerce, Communications and Transportation involves many factors. I take into consideration patron requests and borrowing habits, cost, publisher, item availability, and professional reviews. Collecting art materials is a pleasure for me as my educational background includes the study of both art studio processes and art history. I hope to bring a consumer consciousness to the process of collecting art-related items. For instance, I would like to purchase exhibition catalogs from major shows at the Metropolitan Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Albany Institute of History and Art, Clark Museum, and other venues that attract art lovers from our constituency. The catalogs often provide important background information on an artist and enable the viewer to develop a deeper appreciation for the subject matter, style, medium, and time period featured in the works. I also find inspiration in the many works of art featured in monthly exhibits at the library. One cannot help but notice the many watercolorists whose paintings bring color and life to the library space. Artists are in constant need of new resources that feature "how to" advice, critiquing standards, and inspirational techniques. Collecting for vocational resources involves updating career guides and keeping current with labor market statistics.
Another great source of inspiration is the input I receive from students exploring careers. Genealogy is a new interest area for me. I have been reviewing lists of standards for genealogy collections and welcome input from library patrons who pursue research in this area. It is important to keep in mind that all collections at the library can be supplemented by the collections of other libraries in the Upper Hudson System and by interlibrary loan. The area of commerce, communications, and transportation involves domestic trade, foreign trade, postal communication, and transportation on all surfaces with a focus on popular works. Patrons who have an interest in these subject areas can contact me at stutzmana@uhls.lib.ny.us .

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