Collection Development Plan : March 1, 2006--February 28, 2009

"A Collection Development Plan (CDP) is based on an analysis of your collection and identifies priorities and perhaps dollar allocations for areas, topics, and possibly formats,
that you would address over some set time frame."

I.   Collection Development

A.   Policy - The Polk County Collection Policy is a comprehensive document outlining the principles and criteria for the selection of library materials, and is intended to: guide the library staff in the selection of materials; inform the public about the principles and criteria upon which selections are based; guide the library board and library director when hearing challenges to materials in the library's collections

The objectives of the policy are to:

1. Provide collections of materials that contribute to the achievement of the library's goals as defined by the board of trustees
2.   Provide a broad collection of materials for information and research
3.   Provide materials for recreational reading, listening, and viewing
4. Develop collections of materials that meet special needs and interests such as business, North Carolina, and the aging
5.   Provide materials in alternative formats necessary to meet the needs of all library users

B.   Budget allocation - The percentage of the total budget earmarked for the collection has ranged from 14% to 20% during the period from 2000 - 2005, with per capital costs ranging from $2.83 to $3.52.

C. Collection development objectives for 2006-2009

1.   Implement the plan to reflect the collection policy
2.   Sustain allocate budgeted funds for collection at the 20% level
3.   Update and expand the collection to ensure accurate and timely information and meet users' reading demands
4.   Seek out supplemental funding opportunities to strengthen identified gaps/weaknesses in the collection            

II.    Selection

A. Decision-making process - The selection process is outlined in the collection development policy.

1.   Existing selection procedures

a. Staff recommendations
b. User requests
c. Library director (professional librarian) makes final selections of reviewed and evaluated materials based on recommendations and user requests

2.   Baker & Taylor support Baker & Taylor serves as the primary vendor for the Polk County Public Library since 1994.   The library works closely with them, taking advantage of their expertise and resources to: analyze the existing collection; to aid in selection; to make recommendations; and help set priorities for collection development

a.   Meet with assigned Baker & Taylor library services team
b.   Complete Baker & Taylor project questionnaire
c.   Host site Baker & Taylor visit
d.   Review the recommendations
e.   Set priorities for acquisition

3.   Review circulation statistics - The library will review statistics gathered for the State Library Reports from 2000 through 2005.   Statistics relevant to print materials, excluding periodicals, are included in this document

B.   Analysis

1.  Review holdings by MARC record to determine weaknesses and gaps

a.   Areas we have identified with the biggest need are: world and American history, geography, social science, science, technology, health, math, ready reference, biographies and sports and recreation.   These areas were identified by: the children's services coordinator, the age analysis of the collection conducted by Baker & Taylor, and recommendations by Baker & Taylor consultant during a recent site visit

2. Review MARC holdings to determine age of collection and breakdown of collection by percentage figures - Baker & Taylor will conduct this activity and provide a report.

Sampling of collection age conducted by Baker & Taylor, Feb 10, 2006
[Based on this sampling, the average age of the collection is 1991.3]

a.  Analyze State Library Report statistics for help in making selection decisions based on Baker & Taylor findings - library will make this analysis

Preliminary indications are that our juvenile nonfiction books are inadequate to meet the needs of our users

Over the past several years, inadequate space and limited staff have prevented adequate strengthening and expansion of library print holdings specific to the needs of the young users.   With the opening of a new main library, we have an opportunity to focus on this target population by filling identified gaps and weaknesses in our existing collection

Tables 7 and 7-A (page 3, Collection Development Plan) shows the library has less nonfiction books in the 2004-2005 collection than it had in 2000-2001; 3,243 compared to 3,768.   It represents 6.2% of the over all collection, while in 2000-2001 it represented 8.1%  

Table 9 and 9-A (page 3, Collection Development Plan) shows 2,715 books circulated in 2004-2005, representing 3.4% of the overall circulation for the year, which is the lowest it has been in the five years represented.   It is also lower than the amount of books in the collection as referenced in the previous paragraph.

Young people under the age of 16 represent 15.3% of our registered users. (Table 11-A, page 3 Collection Development Plan). There is an obvious discrepancy between the number of registered juvenile users, the amount of books in the nonfiction collection and the circulation of those books

b.  Increased demand on the nonfiction collection is expected to continue as that age population increases

Thirty-year projected growth estimates, tracked by the U.S. Census, expect the age group from > 20 to increase 56% from 2000-2030.     If we extrapolate the 0-14 age group from these figures, we see that 77.4% of this age group can be identified as juvenile readers.   The inadequacy of the juvenile non-fiction collection will only grow worse if not addressed through a special project

c.  Closer review and analysis of statistics is required as collection development choices are made during the life of this plan

3.   Building consultant recommendations based on square feet/range space in new facility - Shelf space to house 60,000 books, 7,400 audiovisuals items and 120 current magazines

4.   2005 customer survey results - The customer survey listed collection development as the top priority for the library (54%) and leisure reading as the main reason to visit the library

6.   Review of Interlibrary loan requests and customer requests - This activity has not taken place in the past as a tool for collection development.   Past records will be analyzed and used in making selection decisions based on Baker & Taylor findings - library will make this analysis

7.   Review county demographics

C.   Objectives 2006-2009

1.   Create a snapshot of the existing collection

2.   Identify gaps and subject areas that need strengthening

3.   Determine space available for subject area expansion

4.   Set acquisition priorities

5.   Establish an acquisition schedule

III.   Implementation

A.   Determine budget allocations

1.    Budgeted collection development funds recommended by library to county manager for 2006-2007,

Books: $30,140

AVs: $14,750

Periodicals: $13,000

$57,890

Business Reference Materials: $2,790 (grant-funded) this will be ongoing

(Amount can be no more than last fiscal year's budget)

2. Approval expected in July 2007 by county commissioners

TABLE 6 - OPERATING EXPENDITURES	Print Collection $	Electronic Collection $	Other Collection $	($)
2000-2001	na	na	na	$54,375
2001-2002	na	na	na	$53,375
2002-2003	na	na	na	$66,381
2003-2004	$46,075	$    1,700	$   7,500	$55,275
2004-2005	$41,599	$   0	$    6,991	$48,590
2005-2006	$43,140	$   0	$14,750	$57,890
2006-2007* projected	$43,140	$   0	$14,750	$57,890

3. $25,000 Friends of the Polk County Public Library contribution for opening collection - Baker & Taylor has been contracted to deliver this opening collection.   This selection process began in January 2006 and items will be on the shelves when the library opens in June 2006.   Findings from the analysis taking place for this project is the framework for this collection development plan

4. $10,000 will be sought through LSTA Funding to strengthen identified areas based on the Baker & Taylor collection analysis    

a.   Allocated funds from the library budget will serve as matching funds for the LSTA grant collection

•  Preliminary analysis indicates that the juvenile collection will be the focus of the LSTA grant proposal - topical nonfiction, reference, and biographies are the expected targeted subjects

5. Money will be budgeted each year of this plan targeting identified areas to be strengthened.   Grants will be sought each year of this plan to expand our purchasing capacity

6. Our goal for 2006-2008 collection development is to replace 5% of each "Dewey 100s" area (encompassing juvenile and adult collections) each year. With that target, the average age of each classification should be no more than 10 years as we complete the cycle

B.   Vendor selection

1.   Work with Baker & Taylor (established relationship since 1994).

a.   The library will review the collection development questionnaire (completed for Friends project)

b.   Baker & Taylor custom-tailors an acquisition plan based on questionnaire, MARC analysis, and site visit of the existing collection

c.   Selection recommendations given by Baker & Taylor based on two times the amount to be expended

d.   Library prioritizes selections from that list

e.   Library uses selection list as guide to purchases made during the life of this plan

2.   When funds are secured (either through budget or outside sources), library contracts with Baker & Taylor to expand/enhance books in prioritized areas using the research/strategies/recommendations in established collection project during the fall and winter of 2006/2007

C. Acquisition/placement process

1.   Selections will be made from recommended lists prepared by Baker & Taylor

2.   Books processed by Baker & Taylor based on library criteria   

3.   MARC record delivered in electronic format for easy migration to online catalog

4.   Books given top priority for final processing and shelving

5.   Promotional materials created and distributed

 

D.   Objectives for 2006-2009

1.    Secure adequate funds through library budget to maintain 20% expenditure for collection development at the same dollar amount or higher allocated for 2005-2006 budget levels

2.    Continue to work with Baker & Taylor to secure support for collection analysis and development

3.    Purchase materials that eliminate as much processing as possible to alleviate staff processing time

•  Expedite getting new materials in the hands of the users

IV. Priorities/Timeline

A.   Collection area priorities

•  These topic areas based on the director and staff knowledge of the collection.   These guidelines were provided to Baker & Taylor by the library to be used in opening day print collection project for spring 2006 and projected 2006-2007 LSTA project

Recommend percentage distributions for expenditures in identified areas for opening day collection funded by the Friends of the Library, spring 2006 ($25,000)

LIST	BUDGET	DATE RANGE	COMMENTS
Dewey 100s	5%	1/05-6/06
Dewey 200s	2.5%	1/05-6/06	No Bibles
Dewey 300s	5%	1/05-6/06	No Test Guides
Dewey 400s	2.5%	1/05-6/06	No pocket dictionaries and no audiobooks.
Dewey 500s	10%	1/05-6/06	Materials stressing the eastern, southeastern and Appalachian areas of the U.S.
Dewey 600s	10%	1/05-6/06	Only the newest medical material.   Some car repair. Some pet guides.   No cookbooks or gardening.
Dewey 700s	5%	1/05-6/06	No coffee table books.   Team sports, summer sports, equestrian.   No song books. No price guides (in reference).
Dewey 800s	2.5%	1/05-6/06	Foreign fiction and translations to be shelved in fiction.   Anthologies and individual works here.   Style guides.
Dewey 900s	10%	1/05-6/06	Travel guides separate.
Biography	5%	1/05-6/06	Collective biographies shelved in their respective dewey area.
Travel	10%	1/05-6/06	Popular travel guides
Computers	2.5%	1/05-6/06	Computer books from all dewey areas.   Beginning/Intermediate.
Reference	7.5%		Stress ready reference
General Fiction	15%	1/05-6/06	Popular hardcover and trade paperback collection
Mystery	5%	1/05-6/06	Current bestsellers-hardcover and trade paperback
Children's Lists
Juvenile Nonfiction	70%	1/05-6/06	List to include all dewey areas (biographies in respective deweys).
Juvenile Fiction	10%	1/05-6/06	Newer, well reviewed titles.
Easy Picture Books - Board Books	10%	1/05-6/06
Easy Readers	10%	1/05-6/06	"Beginning to Read" - NOT Chapter Books
YA Lists
YA Nonfiction	25%	1/05-6/06	Stress recreational topics
YA Fiction	75%	1/05-6/06	Include Graphic Novels

2. Collection area priorities for 2007-2009 may be modified during the life on this plan based on collection statistics and identified needs and Baker & Taylor collection analysis

Tentative Listing Of Priorities and Timeline Based On
Present Collection Analysis (February 2006)

Date	Collection Area	Goal	Purpose	Amount
Spring 2006	Opening Day Collection	Broad sweep to fill in gaps	Put new books on the new shelves of the new main library	$25,000
Summer 2006 Fall 2006	Children's nonfiction	Strengthen print materials	Update the collection and build the collection to meet user needs	$15,000
Winter 2006/2007	Large print books	Expand holdings	Meet the low vision needs of our aging user base	$10,000
Spring 2007	Senior Resource Center	Update and expand SRC special collection	Updated the collection to reflect interests and needs of our senior users	$15,000
Summer 2007 Fall 2007	Adult Reference books	Update ready reference books	Update the collection to provide accurate and timely information	$25,000
Winter 2007/2008	Genealogy/Local history/North Carolina history and culture	Expand and strengthen holdings	Expand holdings to support family history research	$10,000
Spring 2008	Adult 600's	Update, strengthen and expand topic areas	Update the collection   to provide accurate and timely information	$15,000
Summer 2008 Fall 2008	Adult 500's/900's	Update, strengthen and expand topic areas	Update the collection   to provide accurate and timely information	$15,000
Winter 2008/2009	Sections with average age of 10 years or more	Update, strengthen and expand topic areas	Update the collection   to provide accurate and timely information	$25,000

Polk County Public Library Long-Range Plan

March 1, 2006--February 28, 2009

Last Updated:    February 20, 2006