Welcome!

The course is designed for members of the library community who do not have formal library training.  It will help you understand the reasons for having a collection development policy.  It will also give you some of the information you will need to write or update a collection development policy for your library.

The course is divided into six sections.  Each section has one or more web pages, plus a self-evaluation test.  You will typically move ahead in the course by correctly answering the last question on each self-evaluation.  The course takes approximately one hour to complete. If you have stopped working on the course and wish to re-enter at a section, you may do so by clicking on the objective for the section in the list below.

At the end of the course is an examination.  Idaho library staff members or trustees completing the examination will be eligible to receive a certificate of completion for the course.  Send a copy of the final page of the course to the Continuing Education Consultant, Idaho Commission for Libraries, 325 W. State Street, Boise, Idaho 83702.  Or fax it to 208-334-4016.

Completion of all Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) courses will earn a certificate of completion for the ABLE program. For more information contact the Continuing Education Consultant Team using our online contact form

 

Course Objectives

In this course, you will learn:

1. The purpose of a collection development policy.

2. How to set collection goals.

3. How to make general decisions about the collection.

4. The processes necessary for develop and maintaining a library collection, including selection criteria.

5. The library's role in defending intellectual freedom.

6. The steps in writing a collection development policy.

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