Rethinking Collection Development and Management

This collection of thought-provoking essays by visionary and innovative library practitioners covers theory, research, and best practices in collection development, examining how it has evolved, identifying how some librarians are creatively responding to these changes, and predicting what is coming next.

Rethinking Collection Development and Management adds a new and important perspective to the literature on collection development and management for 21st-century library professionals. The work reveals how dramatically collection development is changing, and has already changed; supplies practical suggestions on how librarians might respond to these advancements; and reflects on what librarians can expect in the future. This volume is a perfect complement for textbooks that take a more traditional approach, offering a broad, forward-thinking perspective that will benefit students in graduate LIS programs and guide practitioners, collection development officers, and directors in public and academic libraries. A chapter on collection development and management in the MLIS curriculum makes this volume especially pertinent to library and information science educators.

Provides an up-to-date professional guide that complements traditional collection management texts

Identifies current trends and paradigm shifts in collection development and management

Illustrates best practices for emerging trends in collection development

Features contributions from innovative, informed, and visionary experts in the field