Since there are more than 75 audio tapes in our Group Library tape collection, we meet mothers' needs with tapes nearly as well as we do with printed material. Through the development of our collection, we've learned several things. Remember the intended audience. Strive for a balance of topics and speakers. Before choosing tapes for purchase, check with someone who attended the session.
Some sessions depend on the listener viewing slides or visuals.
On the other hand, some speakers explain their slides so completely that the tape audience can still appreciate the points the speaker makes. Ideas for starting a playgroup or cooking on a budget may not change much over the years, but tapes with medical information need to be kept current. The tapes are kept in individual plastic cases inside rigid plastic cases with slots specifically for tapes. Each slot is marked with the name of the tape which belongs in that slot, so we can easily tell which tapes are checked out. We file the index cards with the cards from checked-out books so the librarian can call and remind borrowers to bring the tapes to the next meeting.