MLS Collection Development and Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical principle from ALA's Code of Ethics is MOST directly relevant to resisting pressure to remove controversial books from a public library collection?
- Principle of confidentiality of patron records
- Commitment to intellectual freedom and resistance to censorship (Correct answer)
- Equitable access to all library services
- Protection of each user's right to privacy
Correct answer: Commitment to intellectual freedom and resistance to censorship
ALA's commitment to intellectual freedom explicitly calls on librarians to resist censorship and uphold the right of patrons to access a broad range of materials.
Question 2: A library consortium negotiates a license that allows member libraries to share electronic content across institutional boundaries. This type of provision is called:
- Inter-institutional lending clause
- Walk-in user clause
- Cross-access or resource-sharing provision (Correct answer)
- Authorized user extension
Correct answer: Cross-access or resource-sharing provision
A cross-access or resource-sharing provision in a consortium license explicitly authorizes affiliated member libraries to access and share licensed content across institutions.
Question 3: When assessing a journal's value for possible cancellation, which combination of data provides the MOST comprehensive picture?
- Impact factor alone
- Usage statistics, cost per use, and faculty feedback (Correct answer)
- Publisher reputation and indexing in major databases
- Age of journal and number of volumes held
Correct answer: Usage statistics, cost per use, and faculty feedback
Combining usage data, cost-per-use calculations, and faculty input provides a holistic view of a journal's value that no single metric can capture alone.
Question 4: Which collection development strategy is BEST suited for a public library in a rapidly growing suburban community with shifting demographics?
- Static collection policy reviewed every 10 years
- Regular community needs assessments with flexible collection budget allocations (Correct answer)
- Matching the collection profile of the nearest large academic library
- Focusing exclusively on digital resources to avoid physical space constraints
Correct answer: Regular community needs assessments with flexible collection budget allocations
Regular community assessments allow the library to adapt collection priorities as the community's demographics, interests, and information needs evolve.
Question 5: In library science, what is meant by 'perpetual access rights' in the context of electronic journal licensing?
- The right to access a journal indefinitely regardless of subscription status, for content published during the subscription period (Correct answer)
- The ability to download unlimited articles at no additional cost
- Automatic renewal of subscriptions without renegotiation
- Access to all back issues of a journal regardless of when they were published
Correct answer: The right to access a journal indefinitely regardless of subscription status, for content published during the subscription period
Perpetual access rights guarantee that a library retains access to content published during a paid subscription period even after canceling the subscription.
Question 6: A librarian uses interlibrary loan (ILL) data to identify frequently requested titles not owned by the library. This practice is an example of:
- Serials review
- Demand-driven or evidence-based acquisition planning (Correct answer)
- Gift processing workflow
- Cooperative cataloging
Correct answer: Demand-driven or evidence-based acquisition planning
Using ILL request data to identify acquisition candidates is a core evidence-based selection practice, directing purchasing toward demonstrated patron demand.
Question 7: Which statement BEST describes the role of a collection development policy in a library facing a budget cut?
- The policy becomes irrelevant when funds are scarce
- The policy provides documented criteria to guide difficult prioritization and cancellation decisions (Correct answer)
- The policy should be suspended until normal funding resumes
- The policy shifts decision-making authority entirely to library administration
Correct answer: The policy provides documented criteria to guide difficult prioritization and cancellation decisions
During budget cuts, a well-written collection development policy provides objective, pre-established criteria that guide fair and defensible decisions about what to keep or cancel.
MLS Collection Development and Management 5
Which ethical principle from ALA's Code of Ethics is MOST directly relevant to resisting pressure to remove controversial books from a public library collection?