Collection Plan/Analysis

The Collection Plan consisted of a community environmental scan and an analysis of a collection from my local public library.  I had to find three areas that needed to be improved, find research based data, journal articles, and library policy to develop a plan that would improve the available resources in the collection. In order to best suit the needs of my community, I was required to do a scan of the library and its resources, and then come up with a one, two, and three year plan that was tailored to my area.

AASL Standards

  • 1.4 Learning Environments

  • 4.2 Information Resources

  • 4.3 Evidence-Based Decision Making

  • 5.3 Advocacy

  • 5.4 Ethical Practice

Collection-Plan-1

Collection-Analysis-Overview-of-the-Collection

Environmental-Scan

Random-Sampling-BRRL

Random-Sampling

The AASL Standards targeted in this assignment were 1.4 Learning Environments, 4.2 Information Resources, 4.3 Evidence-Based Decision Making, 5.3 Advocacy, and 5.4 Ethical Practice

The Collection Plan incorporated several AASL Standards. By assessing the collection available at my local library to determine what is lacking or needs improvement, the learning environment can be improved. Learners feel more comfortable in a library that appeals to each individual need. Everyone needs to feel they can find information about their race, religion, beliefs, and interests. By completing the environmental scan, I was able to find what information resources are needed to manage a collection that will meet the needs of all patrons. By collecting all the data and analyzing the results, I was able to make an evidence-based decision about what needed to be added to the collection and how it could be improved. At the end of the unit, it was clear what groups of people needed to be advocated for. As professionals, we must do all we can to bring equity and equality into the library in order for everyone to feel included and informed. In order to serve patrons ethically, librarians must provide equal access to resources and create a diverse environment while protecting the privacy of those patrons. By collecting a wide variety of data, I was able to see where improvements need to be made. Although this assignment was done in a public library, it demonstrated how important it is to assess and adjust the resources that are available in school libraries as well.