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LIS301

Collection Development

  • Education
  • 300 level
  • 2 credit units
  • 162 pages
  • 17 units

This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and practices of collection development in libraries. It explores the rationale, purpose, and factors influencing collection development, covering various information resources and community analysis techniques. Students will learn about collection development policies, selection criteria, acquisition methods, and the challenges of censorship and weeding. The course also examines resource sharing, ICT applications, and legal/ethical issues, equipping students with skills for effective library collection management.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
208 hours
Maths
None
Content
Theoretical, case study
Practical work
No
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

LIS301 · UNIT 1 CONCEPT, RATIONALE AND PURPOSE OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

Under this module, you will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of collection development, the rationale and purpose of collection development, factors affecting collection development and the types and features of library information resources.

What you should be able to do

  1. Define and explain the purpose of collection development.
  2. Conduct community analysis to inform collection development decisions.
  3. Formulate and apply collection development policies.
  4. Select and acquire appropriate library materials.
  5. Understand and address censorship issues.
  6. Apply ICT to enhance collection development processes.
  7. Evaluate library collections effectively.
  8. Understand legal and ethical considerations in collection development.

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Collection Development Librarian
  • Acquisitions Librarian
  • Library Manager
  • Information Specialist
  • Digital Resources Librarian
Where it is applied
  • Academic Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Special Libraries
  • Research Institutions
  • Government Agencies

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 5: Evaluation, Resource Sharing and ICT Application to Collection Development

    Unit 1: Evaluation of Library Collection

    Requires understanding of complex statistical methods and data analysis techniques for effective collection assessment.

  • Module 6: Legal and Ethical Issues in Collection Development

    Unit 3: Copyright and the Library Collection Building

    Involves navigating nuanced legal frameworks and ethical considerations related to intellectual property and access.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 24 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Overview of Collection Development
    • Unit 1: Concept, Rationale and Purpose of Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Define collection development and its importance.. Explain the rationale and purpose of collection development.. Discuss the various stages of collection development..

  2. Week 2Module 1: Overview of Collection Development
    • Unit 2: Factors Affecting Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Identify government policies affecting collection development.. Analyze the impact of economic conditions and financial support.. Examine the influence of academic environment and publishing trends..

  3. Week 3Module 1: Overview of Collection Development
    • Unit 3: Types and Features of Library Information Resources · 1.5 hours

      Differentiate between reference books and textbooks.. Understand the characteristics of periodicals and special materials.. Describe library documents, microfilms, and audio-visual resources..

  4. Week 4Module 2: Community Analysis and Collection Development Policy
    • Unit 1: Community Analysis · 1.5 hours

      Define community analysis and its importance.. Explain essential information needed for community analysis.. Identify participants in community analysis and user characteristics..

  5. Week 5Module 2: Community Analysis and Collection Development Policy
    • Unit 2: Collection Development Policy · 1.5 hours

      Define collection development policy and its desirability.. State reasons why libraries may not have collection development policies.. Determine the nature and scope of collection development policies..

  6. Week 6Module 3: Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials
    • Unit 1: Selection of Library Materials · 1.5 hours

      Define selection and its importance in library services.. Describe general principles and criteria for selecting materials.. Identify selection tools and aids, and discuss selection problems..

  7. Week 7Module 3: Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials
    • Unit 2: Acquisition of Library Information Resources · 1.5 hours

      Define acquisition and its methods.. Discuss the functions of the acquisition unit.. Identify problems of acquiring library materials..

  8. Week 8Module 4: Censorship and Weeding of Library Materials
    • Unit 1: Censorship in Libraries · 1.5 hours

      Define censorship and its types.. Justify reasons for censorship and how librarians can resist it.. Discuss censorship in Nigeria..

  9. Week 9Module 4: Censorship and Weeding of Library Materials
    • Unit 2: Weeding of Library Materials · 1.5 hours

      Define weeding and its importance.. Enumerate general criteria for weeding library materials.. Discuss reasons why libraries may not weed their collections..

  10. Week 10Module 5: Evaluation, Resource Sharing and ICT Application to Collection Development
    • Unit 1: Evaluation of Library Collection · 1.5 hours

      Define evaluation and its importance.. State the reasons for evaluating library collections.. Understand the techniques used in evaluating library collections..

  11. Week 11Module 5: Evaluation, Resource Sharing and ICT Application to Collection Development
    • Unit 2: Resource Sharing for Library Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Define resource sharing and its objectives.. State the objectives and scope of resource sharing.. Determine the need for resource sharing and its potentials..

    • Unit 3: ICT Application to Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Discuss the prospects of ICT application to collection development.. Ascertain the problems of ICT application to collection development..

  12. Week 12Module 6: Legal and Ethical Issues in Collection Development
    • Unit 1: Intellectual Freedom in Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Understand what intellectual freedom is all about.. Discuss the purpose of intellectual freedom in collection development activities.. Explain what intellectual freedom means to libraries..

    • Unit 2: Censorship in Collection Development · 1.5 hours

      Define censorship and its types.. Discuss the points from the code of ethics from the American Library Association.. Explain censorship and the librarian..

  13. Week 13Module 7: Management of Electronic Resources, Cost Benefit
    • Unit 3: Copyright and the Library Collection Building · 1.5 hours

      Define copyright and narrate its history.. Explain the nature and purpose of copyright.. Outline materials eligible for copyright and discuss its effects on libraries..

    • Unit 2: Cost Benefit Analysis and Inventory Control · 1.5 hours

      Explain cost benefit analysis and inventory control.. Justify why cost benefit analysis is desirable.. Discuss the procedures in library inventory control..

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Review definitions of key collection development concepts (Units 1-3).
  • Create a detailed outline of the collection development cycle (all modules).
  • Study community analysis methods and their application (Module 2).
  • Compare and contrast different acquisition methods (Module 3).
  • Analyze case studies related to censorship and intellectual freedom (Module 4).
  • Practice applying ICT tools for collection management (Module 5).
  • Understand copyright laws and their implications for libraries (Module 6).
  • Review cost-benefit analysis techniques for resource allocation (Module 7).

Questions students ask about this course

What is LIS301 about?

This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and practices of collection development in libraries. It explores the rationale, purpose, and factors influencing collection development, covering various information resources and community analysis techniques. Students will learn about collection development policies, selection criteria, acquisition methods, and the challenges of censorship and weeding. The course also examines resource sharing, ICT applications, and legal/ethical issues, equipping students with skills for effective library collection management.

How many units does LIS301 have?

LIS301, Collection Development, has 17 units across 7 modules, over 162 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is LIS301?

LIS301 carries 2 credit units, at 300 level in Education.

Is LIS301 hard?

LIS301 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.

How long does LIS301 take to study?

About 208 hours of study, spread across its 17 units.

How is LIS301 assessed?

LIS301 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with LIS301?

Collection Development Librarian, Acquisitions Librarian, Library Manager, Information Specialist and Digital Resources Librarian.

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