background information this section should include the name address an
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Background Information:
This section should include the name, address, and affiliations of the library that you selected earlier in the
lesson. This is where you will tell the reader whether this is an academic, public, school, or special library. You
will also let the reader know whether or not the library is stand-alone or part of a larger system. If your library
is part of a system, you will need to let the reader know how large the system is. A library that is part of a 26
branch system will have very different collection development needs than a library that is not part of a system.
If available, you may also include some library history. Note: For this project, you only need to select ONE library.
Please do not try to select multiple libraries or entire systems. Some information may only be available at the
system level. Whenever possible, please focus on the individual library. If you have questions, please ask!
Service Area:
The service area is the area served by the library. This section should give the reader a general idea of where
the library is situated and whether or not it is bound by physical location. Public libraries and K-12 libraries
usually have a clearly defined geographical service area. Special libraries and libraries serving institutions of
higher education may have users that are not bound by a geographic location.
For public libraries, the service area is the geographic location served by the library. If the library is part of a
larger system, the service area may be defined by zip code, cross streets, or neighborhoods. Public libraries
that are not part of a larger system may serve an entire city or county. In some cases, there is overlap between
the service areas of libraries.
For school libraries, the service area may be identified by looking at the district map that shows which areas
are served by the various schools. Sometimes the service area is defined by neighborhoods or cross streets.
For an example of a school district map, you can view the one provided by Denton ISD . If you are profiling
a school library, you can include a map of the service area in the appendix.
For academic libraries, the service area may or may not be relevant since many universities offer distance
programs to students all over the world. Library services may not be limited by a particular geographic service
area. Mention the geographic location of the hosting institution, but also be sure to mention that the library
serves any student that is currently enrolled in courses without regard to a physical location.
For special libraries, the service area may or may not be useful. If the library provides services to a
multinational company, then many of the services will be provided electronically via company intranets. It can
often be difficult to identify the service area for special libraries due to their varied nature. Intended Audience/Target Population
This section should address the potential users of the library. When describing the potential users, you might
want to consider the following questions: Who is the intended audience for the library? Who was the library
created to serve? Who are the primary and secondary potential users of the library?
When discussing the target population, you must clearly state who the primary and secondary users are. I will
be specifically looking for the terms primary and secondary. Libraries should focus on ALL potential users in
order to provide better collections and services so that the library may increase usage.
Identifying the target audience should include two components. One component is numerical data. Complete
statistical data should be included in the appendices. The narrative portion should focus on creating a
snapshot of the community that is being served. This may include the highlights of the numeric data but
should also focus on giving the reader a snapshot of the community. Specific demographics are important, but
they do not always give the full picture. For example, looking at the demographics of Denton might not reveal
that it is a college town that is home to two universities. Since there are students in this course from all over
the world, it is helpful for me to get a general sense of the target area. Do not assume that your reader is
familiar with your area. Provide as much detail as possible.
The actual charts and graphs with all of the specifics can be placed in the appendix. In the narrative portion,
focus on the highlights. Commonly-used demographics include sex, race, age, income, disabilities, mobility (in
terms of travel time to work or the number of vehicles available), educational attainment, homeownership,
employment status, and location. This will vary depending on the type of library that you have chosen to
profile. (A table or chart with all of the relevant data is usually the easiest way to present statistical
information such as demographics.)
For Public Libraries: You can use the US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/, ZipSkinny
http://zipskinny.com/, CityData http://citydata.com/, or any other website that will help you describe ALL of
the potential users of the library. When looking at users, it is important to look at proximity to local
businesses, schools, public transportation, etc.
Academic libraries: Enrollment figures. Depending on the type of university, you may want to address the
surrounding community as well; Many community college libraries offer services to local community
members.
School libraries: You can check with the registrar for demographic data. Some states have a state
department of education that keeps demographic data on all of the schools in the state (The Texas
Education Agency provides detailed demographics for every public school in the state via the AEIS report.
If you need help with this, let me know);
■ Special libraries: Depends on the library's purpose/function Funding
Sources of funding
In this section, you need to address the potential sources of funding. You do not need to address specific
numbers in this section. Those will be provided later. This is where you mention whether or not the funding
source is private or public. Does the library host any fundraisers? Does the library seek donations? Does the
library have any endowments? Is the library supported by tax dollars? Does legislation stipulate funding?
Budget
In this section, provide a highlight of the budgetary figures. Please provide a copy of the budget in the
appendix. If you are working with a library that is part of a system, you may need to provide funding
information at the system level. Each library and each system is slightly different. Some systems do centralized
collection development, which means that there may not be a budget for the individual library. In that case,
simply provide the budget for the entire system. Some libraries do a combination of individual and centralized
collection development whereby certain things are automatically ordered for all branches by the central
developers, and then a small portion of the budget is given to the branch librarians to meet their unique
needs.
Budget History
You need to address whether or not funding for this library is increasing, decreasing, or static. It is important
to know the historic trend for funding. If funds are increasing, are those funds being funneled into collection
development, or are they addressing the rising costs of operations? If funds are decreasing, where are funds
being cut? It may or may not be possible to gather this information.
The budgets for public institutions should be a matter of public record. You can oftentimes go to the city's
website and look at the city budget to find the library's budget. Getting funding information for privately
funded libraries may be a bit more tricky. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Collections
Overview
The collection overview should give the reader a general idea of the overall size and condition of the library
collections. If you don't have the collection size, you can use square footage. The condition of the collection
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What formats does this library collect? Libraries host a wide range of materials. When developing a collection,
it is important to know what formats are collected and what formats are not. Format refers to the
physical/virtual container. Format includes book, CD, DVD, electronic databases, microfiche, etc. If a library
does not collect a specific format, then it is important to have that clearly communicated.
Collection arrangement
How is the collection arranged? Is it divided into sections based on user age (adults, teens, children)? Is it
divided into sections based on the format? Are there any special collections? Are collections arranged by
DDC, LC, alphabetically, or some other method such as NLM classification or SuDoc number? Please include a
map of the library's collections in the appendix. The library map will serve two purposes. One, it will serve as a
visual to show how the collections are arranged. Two, it will help clear up any potential confusion about the
collections and their arrangement.
Items excluded
Does the library exclude any items from the collection? Items can be excluded for a host of reasons. Items
may be excluded due to format, content, age, etc. Some libraries exclude items such as textbooks from the
collections. Another way to look at this is to ask, "What does the library lack?" If you cannot find any
information that states whether or not items are deliberately excluded, mention whether or not there are
formats or topics that are not available when searching the catalog. Most libraries exclude old and outdated
formats such as VHS and cassette tapes. While many libraries used to collect compact discs, those have been
phased out.
Collection Strengths and Weaknesses
In this section, discuss overall perceptions of the library. What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses?
Be sure to avoid using the pronoun "I" as this should sound like a professional document. One might consider
whether or not the library is known for having a specific collection. When considering library weaknesses, one
might look at whether or not the library is known for lacking resources. Does the library lack resources for
certain populations? For example, an area may have a large population that speaks a foreign language, and the
library does not have any materials in said language. Or, a weakness may be that the library does not have
enough electronic materials to offer patrons.
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In this section, you need to provide as much information as you can find about how collection development is
accomplished at your selected library. Who is responsible for developing the library collections? This may be
one person or it may be a department. Collection development responsibilities may also be split among
librarians. Some libraries have centralized collection development whereby all collection development is done
at a central location. Other libraries assign each librarian a subject area to develop. Can you find any
information regarding the resources the library uses to develop the collections? Where does collection
development occur? Is it done on-site, or is it done off-site by a collection development department? Has
collection development been outsourced to a vendor?
You may or may not be able to find all of the answers to the questions posed in this section. The most
important part of this section is to begin locating information about how this library actually develops its
collections.
Library Services
Basic Services
These are services such as photocopying, computer use, wifi, printing, notary services, or similar such services.
Have library services changed since Covid? What services are offered now?
Programming
What sorts of programs are offered by your library? Programs offered vary greatly from library to library. Do
not assume that all libraries are the same. Programming can range from story times to book talks to crochet
classes to pretty much any kind of program the librarians can dream up. Does the library offer virtual
programs, in-person programs, or a mix? Has the library ceased programming due to Covid?
User Education
What types of courses are offered to patrons? Many academic libraries offer Bibliographic instruction and
other introductory courses to teach patrons how to use the library. Some libraries offer library guides to help
educate users about the resources available. Academic libraries tend to offer more user education and less
programming.
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