GLC Collection Development and Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a library receives a large gift collection, the FIRST step should be to:
- Catalog and process all items immediately
- Assess the gift against collection development criteria before accepting (Correct answer)
- Place all items on display for patron selection
- Sell duplicates at a book sale immediately
Correct answer: Assess the gift against collection development criteria before accepting
Gift collections must be evaluated against the collection policy to determine which items, if any, meet selection standards before acceptance.
Question 2: In collection assessment, 'age analysis' is used to determine:
- The average age of library patrons
- How current or dated materials in a subject area are (Correct answer)
- The age of physical items based on binding condition
- When a collection policy was last revised
Correct answer: How current or dated materials in a subject area are
Age analysis examines copyright or publication dates to assess whether a collection's materials are sufficiently current for patron needs.
Question 3: A public library serves a community with a growing Spanish-speaking population. The collection development policy should be updated to:
- Redirect all Spanish-language requests to interlibrary loan
- Include Spanish-language materials as a priority collection area (Correct answer)
- Limit Spanish materials to a single display section
- Defer to state guidelines before adding any Spanish materials
Correct answer: Include Spanish-language materials as a priority collection area
Collection policies should reflect community demographics, making Spanish-language materials a priority when that population is growing.
Question 4: Which of the following is the BEST example of a quantitative measure in collection evaluation?
- Patron satisfaction surveys about collection quality
- Circulation statistics per subject area (Correct answer)
- Librarian judgment of subject coverage depth
- Community focus group feedback on collection gaps
Correct answer: Circulation statistics per subject area
Circulation statistics are a quantitative, numerical measure; satisfaction surveys and librarian judgment are qualitative.
Question 5: The primary purpose of a 'deselection' or 'weeding' program is to:
- Reduce the library's tax burden on inventory
- Maintain a current, relevant, and usable collection (Correct answer)
- Make room for new furniture and seating
- Comply with state mandated collection size limits
Correct answer: Maintain a current, relevant, and usable collection
Weeding removes outdated, worn, or unused materials to keep the collection accurate, relevant, and easy to navigate.
Question 6: When applying the CREW method for weeding, the 'C' stands for:
- Circulation count threshold
- Copyright date or age of material (Correct answer)
- Cost of replacement
- Community interest rating
Correct answer: Copyright date or age of material
In the CREW method, 'C' represents the age of the material based on its copyright or publication date.
Question 7: A school library media specialist wants to align the collection to curriculum standards. The BEST approach is to:
- Purchase award-winning titles regardless of curriculum alignment
- Map current holdings to specific curriculum units and identify gaps (Correct answer)
- Ask students to suggest titles they enjoy
- Order the same materials used by the district's largest school
Correct answer: Map current holdings to specific curriculum units and identify gaps
Curriculum mapping systematically identifies which areas of the curriculum have strong or weak resource support.
GLC Collection Development and Management 3
When a library receives a large gift collection, the FIRST step should be to: