08 Responsibility for selection

8.1 Collection development team & contracted selectors
8.2 Collections steering group
8.3 Collections forum
8.4 Collection advocates
8.5 Libraries group manager

8.1 Collection development team & contracted selectors

Selecting material for the ACL/TPK collections is the responsibility of professional library staff.  Librarians in the Collection Development Team take into account community needs, customer requests, library staff feedback including the gaps spreadsheet, reviewing media and professional judgement when selecting all materials purchased for use by the community.  A small proportion of the budget is contracted to specialist librarians in the areas of music, heritage, family history, newspapers, world languages and LOGIS.  For some material, profile and standing orders are designed by library staff and set up with suppliers who then supply individual titles based on those criteria.

Selection is made from supplier databases, trade and library magazines, publishers' catalogues, reviews in specialist and general interest magazines, internet websites and suggestions for purchase from customers and from librarians working in customer services units.  Local bookstores and their catalogues are browsed to keep abreast of local promotions and local publishing of popular material.

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8.2 Collections steering group

The Collections Steering Group is a monthly advisory forum for discussion and decision making about new collections, issues and matters to do with the management, delivery, and operation of the collections. This group is convened by the Collections Manager, and includes customer services managers, information resources managers, the Collection Development Team Leader and the Pou Arahi Taonga.

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8.3 Collections forum

In addition to this, a twice-yearly collection forum is held to discuss performance results, trends and forward strategies, and to share feedback about needs, gaps and customer response.  This group has the same members as the steering group, but also includes all community library managers, central team leaders, collections development team members and contracted selectors.

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8.4 Collection advocates

Library staff input to selection decisions and a one organisation approach is provided by the collection advocates model.  Each site, or unit in Central with collections, is matched up with a collection advocate who is a member of the Collection Development Team, and who is the key contact for any collection issues or feedback to the Collection Development Team.  Collection advocates have an in depth knowledge of the community and collection profile for that site.  They act as an advocate or champion on their behalf for collection related issues, ensure that the site is kept up to date on collection issues and changes and ensure that the Collection Development Team is up to date with collection issues from that site.

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8.5 Libraries group manager

Final responsibility and authority for selection and collection management decisions rests with the Libraries Group Manager who operates within the framework of the policies adopted by Auckland City.

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