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Collection Development and Materials Selection Policy
Literature (800-899) The literature collection consists of the following major subject areas: Writing: Material in this collection is intended to aid the writer or aspiring writer of fiction and nonfiction for adults, children, or more specific audiences. It includes advice on writing techniques and finding a publisher for novels, short stories, poetry, and greeting card verses, among others. Writing term/research papers, articles for periodicals, letters, and technical reports are some of the popular subjects selected for this area. Also included are style manuals and handbooks on English composition and books on preparing and delivering speeches and toasts. Literary history and criticism: Titles are selected to cover the literatures of the world and the various forms of literature. They may also consist of surveys of one or more national or regional literatures, or studies of individual authors and individual works. Collections of speeches, essays, and humorous writings; anthologies of short stories; and plays and poems in both single-author volumes and anthologies. Emphasis is on British and American literature. Basic and representative core works of the literature and culture of many other nations are present in translation to support a basic level of school and public library inquiries. Influencing Factors Required reading in local high schools centers on major British and American authors and the collection reflects this emphasis. School literary assignments and the recreational and continuing education needs of the public library community necessitate a literature collection responsive to demand. Play-reading groups and amateur and professional theatrical groups make use of the library's drama collection; therefore, this area should continue to grow to meet an increasing demand for new titles and new playwrights. Standard selection journals are consulted to maintain the literature collection, along with publishers' catalogs, such as those of Writers Digest Books, Chelsea House, Samuel French, Baker, and those of university presses. Concentrated purchasing is done in the area of style manuals, books on letter and speech writing, and publication of all styles of writing. Some titles, such as Writers Market and Writer's Handbook are supplemented by reference copies which may be converted to circulating copies when a new edition is received. One copy is usually sufficient in all areas of the collection except in criticism of authors and classic works of literature regularly appearing in class assignments. Multiple copies of such criticism is essential. Titles with a good history of use may be replaced as often as necessary but preference is given to selecting new titles. Classic and current authors are retained, with weeding done on the basis of lasting influence and demand. Since literature is fairly stable, concentrated weeding can be done on a three-to-four-year cycle to replace damaged books and withdraw outdated materal. Reference books, such as Books in Print, Public Library Catalog, and Readers Advisor may be consulted before withdrawing titles in this collection. The literature collection needs development in all areas and, in particular, in the literatures of non-English speaking nations. More copies of American literary criticism suitable for high school students need to be purchased, as well as literary criticism in non-English literatures. Criticism and works of current authors of note need to be purchased in greater numbers to broaden the scope of the Library's collection. Reference support with current materials should be broadened to achieve greater depth in the collection. |
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