Coll. Dev. Policy Table of Contents Copyright Statement Introduction Policies Selection Process Collection Evaluation Adult 000 - Computers Adult 100 - Psychology, Philosophy Adult 200 - Religion Adult 300 - Social Sciences Adult 400 - Language Adult 500 - Pure Sciences Adult 600 - Applied Sciences Adult 700 - Arts, Recreation Adult 800 - Literature Adult 900 - History, Geography Adult - Biography Adult - Fiction Adult - Mysteries Adult - Science Fiction Adult - Young Adult Adult - Videos Adult - Ref. CD-ROMs Adult - Circ CD-ROMs Adult - Popular Recordings Adult - Classical Recordings Adult - Spoken Recordings Adult - Reference Adult - Online Databases Adult - WWW Sites Adult - Large Type Adult - Paperbacks Adult - Govt. Documents Adult - Local History Adult - Periodicals Adult - Literacy Adult - Foreign Lang. Adult - Phone Books Adult - College Catalog Adult - Pamphlets Juv. - Non-Fiction Juv. - Easy Reader Non-Fic. Juv. - Fiction Juv. - Easy Fiction Juv. - Easy Reader Fiction Juv. - Picture Books Juv. - Paperbacks Juv. - Sound Recordings Juv. - Spoken Recordings Juv. - Reference Juv. - Periodicals

Generalities (000-099)

This is a broad collection that reflects many general subjects. In the area of library science, the collection consists of major/classic works in the field, some theoretical, some practical. In the area of journalism, the library purchases popular writing manuals and major histories and commentaries on journalism and journalists. Other materials in the area are older editions of encyclopedias and other standard general works. Because computer books form such a large portion of the 000s, they will be treated separately in each section below. The largest focus in this area, aside from computer books, can be found in the area of unexplained phenomena/extraterrestrial material. This area is well developed and continues to grow as new information becomes available.

Computer Books:
This collection is aimed primarily at the business and home microcomputer user. The hardware emphasis is therefore on IBM/MS-DOS and Macintosh, with lesser coverage of other models. Software books, purchased proportionately to the hardware platform emphasis, cover the major types of packages: word processing, database, spreadsheet, graphics, desktop publishing, communications, networking, etc. A small number of items are selected on minicomputer and mainframe topics.

Influencing Factors

Library science materials are collected for both circulation purposes and for internal library use. There are several active writing groups in Morton Grove and vicinity that create a demand for books on writing and publishing. The unexplained phenomena collection has grown in response to patron interest and demand. Our collection in this area is used by patrons from all over the north suburban area.

Computer Books:
The boom in computer technology and the widespread advance of the use of computers both in the home and the office necessitate an extensive collection of relevant, up-to-date materials on all aspects of computers.

Standard selection tools are used for this area. Publishers' catalogs and ads are also used regularly. In the Dewey library science subject category, Bowker, H.W. Wilson, and American Library Association catalogs are checked regularly for appropriate titles. Selection of materials in the unexplained phenomena area are made through the standard selection tools as well as through such subject area magazines as Fate and The Monthly Aspectarian. The advice and input of patrons and experts in the field also guide the library in this selection area.

Computer Books:
In addition to the standard selection tools, publishers' catalogs are also used for selection. Library Journal has a regular column on computer books from which a large number of items is selected.

Retention in this area is basically on a classic and current level. In library science, for example, classical works and current practice materials will be retained. Weeding must be on-going and heavy in a lightly used collection - the entire 000s except for computer books and unexplained phenomena materials. The criteria for weeding in this area can easily be dictated by demand and current circulation statistics.

Computer Books:
Books specific to a particular computer model or software package should be retained as long as the model or package is in reasonably wide use. For software, the version number must also be considered; in some instances, an upgrade is substantial enough that it is expected that all users will upgrade to the new version, while other times a significant number of users will stay with the earlier version, perhaps for hardware compatibility. In general, serious consideration for weeding should be given to hardware books 3-5 years old and software books 2-4 years old. More general books on some subjects, such as repair, can be retained longer, while on other subjects, especially computer purchasing, they may be out-of-date even sooner.

At this time, development of this collection should focus on building a stronger collection in the journalism and publishing area. Often, the library's collection is not sufficient to meet the demands of patrons. Also, new and current titles need to be purchased to keep the subject relevant and in step with professional trends. As attention is focused on these areas, reference materials should be purchased in greater numbers to support this collection.

Computer Books:
Computer book purchasing was increased in mid-1991. It should stay at this higher level, initially to build the collection, and, later, to replace items withdrawn through more frequent weeding.

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First published on the Web: 1/26/98
Last updated: 10/17/2006, 3:07 PM