Introduction

Collection Management embraces a range of different activities, including selection and acquisition, collection evaluation, collection review, preservation and promotional aspects. To support these essential collection management processes, there needs to be a viable and pragmatic written Collection Development Policy (CDP). An informal, verbal agreement is insufficient if you are going to have a commitment to systematic collection building or development.

This chapter will define what a CDP is and describe the individual components and overall structure that make up a written CDP. The role of a CDP will be discussed and guidance offered on how to devise and implement a CDP. Extracts from existing CDPs are offered as working examples to illustrate points and for you to explore in more detail.

A CDP: what is it, and why do I need it?

Let us begin this discussion by asking the question: What is a CDP? A CDP is a formal policy document or statement which maintains a commitment to systematic collection building and development. Johnson states that ‘libraries without collection development policies are like businesses without business plans. Without a plan, an owner and his employees lack a clear understanding of what the business is doing now and what it will do in the future, and potential investors have little information about the business's prospects’ (Johnson, 2009, 72).

The emphasis here is on the importance of the document and its multi-faceted use. You may also hear of the document being referred to as the selection, acquisitions or stock policy; the terms are often used interchangeably in the professional literature. Even when a stock policy already exists and is in use, however, a CDP goes further.

Evans and Saponaro describe a CDP as a ‘framework within which individuals can exercise judgement’ (2005, 52). The CDP document or statement will form a comprehensive and detailed written ‘contract’ between users and the library and plays an essential part in collection management, as will be explored in this chapter. The CDP is used as an advocate for the library in terms of public relations with users (to inform), for administration purposes (to build reputations) and for justification for funding bodies (to enable communication between external users and internal staff).