Page 161 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Library Administration and Management

Notes Indents from subject experts or departments;
Findings of user need survey conducted;
Syllabi and prospectuses of courses of studies; and
Profiles of researchers.

Demands have to be assessed in terms of their volume, value and variety. The final rating of the
demand should COMIM with the selection policy of the library. Each library ought to have its
own broad selection policy. Some libraries even have a written statement of this policy.
In either case, the policy is the basic guideline in selection of documents.

Finding Resources

As said earlier, supply is another basic factor. Supply means availability of documents for
acquisition. Information regarding supply can be collected in the form of various selection
sources or tools. The library will be regularly receiving various source materials. If not, they
have to be acquired. A good source collection may contain the following:
Trade catalogues issued by individual publishers and booksellers
Book trade journals
Previews and announcements issued by publishers

Book reviews appearing in newspapers and journals
Book reviewing journals
Book selection lists brought out by competent bodies

List of textbooks prescribed for various courses of studies
Published catalogues of book exhibitions
Published catalogues of important libraries
Subject bibliographies and subject guides to selection
National bibliographies

Comprehensive retrospective bibliographies
Catalogues of second-hand booksellers
The sources have to be sorted and stored for convenient use. Updating of the sources and
weeding out of old ones should be done on a regular basis.

Allocating Funds

Finance is the most important factor in document selection. Proper planning of finance is basic
to good acquisition work. Every library works according to its budget. The total budget of the
library will include a separate provision for books. This amount will have to be apportioned
among three heads, namely books, periodicals, and binding. This amount thus set apart for
books is the budget placed at the disposal of the Acquisition Department. This amount has to be
used for purchase of books and other types of documents except current periodicals. For the
balanced development of the collection, the books budget should be allocated among different
subjects and categories. This budget allocation is done by the library authority or its delegated
body like the Book Selection Committee. The librarian and the acquisition staff are also involved
in this process since they are the people to provide the information required for budget allocation

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