When I talk with folks about what they would like to see at the library in the future, the most common answer is: “More books!”
The library adds approximately 4,000 new titles to the collection every year, and currently holds over 40,000 titles in total, as well as access to over 60,000 electronic titles (ebooks and audiobooks).
When managing a collection of this size, three interrelated factors come into play: Does the collection fit our space? Does the collection fit our budget? Does the collection fit our community?
“Fitting our space” simply refers to the fact that we have limited floor space and shelving to hold our collections, and that our collection must fit within these physical limitations.
“Fitting our budget” refers to the fact that the collection must be refreshed at a reasonable rate in order to remain fresh and relevant, and this is limited by our budget.
“Fitting our community” refers to the fact that certain areas of our collection are more highly used than others, and this impacts our selection process and how we allocate our physical space and budget towards various collection areas.
When I arrived in Creston three years ago, the collection had outgrown our physical space. Volunteers were unable to shelve books because the shelves were too full. We had hundreds of circulating items in storage because there was no room on the shelves. There were no display areas to showcase new books or particular collection areas.
Since then, we have gradually reduced our collection by approximately 20 per cent in order to fit our collections into the space we have. While the overall trend in libraries across Canada has seen decreased circulation of books, our circulation has shown a small increase over the past three years. Books and reading are alive and well in Creston!
We continually evaluate our collections to better manage them and understand how the community uses them. We can run reports showing how well mysteries circulate versus non-fiction, for example. This helps us determine whether to increase or decrease the shelf space and budget allocation required for a particular collection.
We also run reports listing items that haven’t circulated for a particular period of time in order to identify items to remove from the collection. There are exceptions but, generally speaking, an item that hasn’t circulated for two years is likely to be slated for removal.
I know that many folks are unhappy to hear about the library taking books off the shelf, but the fact is that it is an important and necessary part of collection management. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t take this responsibility seriously.
We select items for purchase using a number of criteria, but the most important method is by direct patron request. If a patron requests a recently published item that we haven’t already ordered, chances are high that we will purchase a copy. Approximately 15 per cent of the books we purchase are a result of direct patron requests. We also look at bestseller lists, publisher’s hotlists and reviews in the selection process.
We receive a large number of items by donation, and are always grateful for the generosity of those who donate items to the library. We apply the same selection criteria to donations as we do for items we purchase. Items not selected for inclusion in our collection are given to the Friends of the Library for their book sales, which help raise much-needed funds for programs such as the Summer Reading Club.
Have comments or questions about any aspect of the library? I’d love to hear from you. Call 250-428-4141, email info@crestonlibrary.com or come by in person.
Aaron Francis is the chief librarian at Creston Valley Public Library. He is currently reading Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson.