Selection of Library Materials Selection is at the heart of the collection development process. This core function builds the library's collection for a particular user community. Skill, knowledge, and the right tools are required to select appropriate library materials that meet the needs of the community. While it is challenging to build a balanced collection that meets the needs of your user community, this training site provides you with evaluation criteria, selection tools, and selection considerations to aid you in the selection process. In addition to identifying print resources to aid in the selection process, we also present many links to Internet resources that should be useful in making selection decisions.
Books are the main staple of a public library collection.
This section gives pointers for how to evaluate books and identifies several selection tools that should help you make selection decisions. Given the need to view or listen to audiovisual materials, the process involved in the selection of audiovisual materials is different than for books. Since periodicals are published on a continuing basis, they require an ongoing financial commitment and large amounts of space on your library's bookshelves. This section identifies selection considerations for periodicals, as well as selection criteria and resources that should aid in the selection process. Indexes, dictionaries, encyclopedias, games, and all types of materials are available on CD-ROM and online.