Collection+development+statement

=**General Collection Development Policy**=

Mission
At the Rhode Island Public Library, our mission is to serve the informational, educational, recreational, and cultural needs of the residents of Rhode Island. We seek to do so through a wide variety of activities, while developing and providing access to a comprehensive and organized collection. We promote access to information, lifelong learning, and engagement within the community.

Mission
The Rhode Island Public Library strives to create a welcoming environment for all members of the community. The RIPL recognizes the importance of the Cuban American population to our community. As a vital community resource the RIPL strives to reach out to the Cuban American community by maintaining and improving our Cuban and Latin American resource collection, expanding our cultural programming for the community, and helping the population with issues that affect them on a daily basis.

**Community analysis data**
See Community overview page

Goals through 2015

 * Greatly expand the collection of Cuban & Cuban-American literature and other resources
 * Increase the amount of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the library and market them more heavily.
 * Increase cultural programming focused on Cuban Americans to make them feel welcome in the community and increase awareness of their culture by other patrons in the community.
 * Heavily market the library to the Cuban American community to significantly increase their presence within the library.

User needs to be serviced

 * Educational Needs:
 * ESL programs
 * Tutoring
 * Computer training
 * Elementary, Middle, and High school curriculum support.
 * Cultural / Community Needs:
 * Expand Foreign Film collection (w/emphasis on Cuban & Latin American films)
 * Increased cultural programming
 * Informational Needs:
 * Immigration information
 * Career / Job information
 * Tax information
 * Consumer information
 * RI public service information

**Programs and services**
//Programs//
 * Exhibits
 * Author readings
 * Workshops
 * Technology classes
 * Cultural programming
 * Book groups
 * Community events

//Services//
 * Reference services
 * Readers advisory
 * Partner with academic institutions to host literacy programs for Spanish-speaking persons to improve their English skills
 * Scanning and reproduction services
 * Circulating collection
 * Interlibrary loan

Selection responsibilities: who is responsible for selection of materials?

 * Patrons are encouraged to suggest some of their favorite Cuban or Cuban-American focused literature.
 * The Head of Collection Development will team up with the Bilingual Reader Services Librarian to select the best Cuban American resources to add to the collection.
 * The library's Board of Trustees will have final approval on any major purchases.

Selection criteria: evaluative criteria used for each format
Selection criteria includes:
 * Patron demand
 * Relevance to the Cuban American community
 * Cost
 * Is the resource available through ILL?
 * Awards or positive reviews
 * Is the material relevant, current, and unbiased?

Selection aids: tools of the trade
Librarians will routinely consult a variety of sources to find and select appropriate items to add to the collection. Sources include:
 * Book review and bibliographic sources
 * Publishers' catalogs
 * Staff and community suggestions and requests
 * Donations

Such sources may include, but are not limited to:

//Amazon// [] This online bookseller also includes reviews on a countless number of resources including Cuban & Cuban American Literature. Amazon also frequently includes the //Booklist// review with many of its books.

//Booklist// @http://booklistonline.com Booklist Magazine is a well-known and well-regarded reviewing source published both online and in print by the American Library Association. It also includes lists of award-winning books.

//Bookwire// @http://www.bookwire.com Bookwire offers searches and evaluations for many published and ebooks to include a selection on Cubans and Cuban Americans.

//Library Journal// @http://www.libraryjournal.com Here you'll find the latest English-language coverage of Spanish-language authors, book reviews (criticas libros), best sellers, and more from the editors of Library Journal and School Library Journal.

//Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)// [] This resource includes book reviews of the latest children and young adult literature including Cuban/Latino related materials.

//Emphasis//

 * In Latino Librarianship, Figueredo recommends thinking about the wide range of Cuban Fiction and Non Fiction. Some major movements in Cuban-American Literature include "anti-Casto literature; the Mariel Generation; and Cuban Literature in exile." (91: Latino Librarianship)
 * Collection should be a balance of educational & recreational (Alire & Archibeque: Serving Latino Communities)
 * Wide range of materials, children, YA, adult: written and illustrated by Cubanos and Latinos authors and illustrators
 * It can be a challenge to find Cubano & Latino fiction and non fiction, young readers to adult. Important Cuban literature and movies are not completely mainstream.
 * Collection should represent the thoughts and works of each wave Cuban-American people

//Formats//

 * 1) Print
 * 2) Monographs
 * 3) Non-fiction
 * 4) Fiction
 * 5) Graphic novels
 * 6) Indexes and bibliographies
 * 7) Large print
 * 8) Serials
 * 9) Popular periodicals
 * 10) Scholarly journals
 * 11) Comic books
 * 12) Electronic resources
 * 13) Databases
 * 14) Spanish-language databases
 * 15) URLs (webliography)
 * 16) Electronic books
 * 17) Spanish-language software
 * 18) Media
 * 19) CDs - music, books
 * 20) DVDs - feature films, documentaries, popular television series
 * 21) CD-ROMS
 * 22) VHS (for items not yet on DVD but of significance)
 * 23) Other
 * 24) Items which are of historical or cultural significance
 * 25) Children's sets

Subject areas: determining priorities & levels
Given the results of our survey, we will initially collect...
 * Most suggested or most popular Cuban / Latin American Literature
 * Foreign films or other electronic Cuban resources
 * Cuban & Latin American literature for Children, Teens, and Young Adults.
 * Important Cuban and Cuban American Non fiction resources.

As we progress, we will reassess our priorities, based on the needs of the local Cuban community.

//Geography//
Given the Cuban and Cuban-American focus of this initiative, emphasis is placed on items produced by/for the U.S. and Cuban markets.

//Language//
As our collection is currently overwhelmingly English-language oriented, we will focus primarily on Spanish-language and bilingual items, especially those which are Cuban-Spanish. We will also collect English-language items, provided that they meet the needs of the community (regarding subject, etc.)

//Subject//
We will collect in all subject areas, with an emphasis on Cuban and Cuban-American aspects of all subjects.

//Date of publication//
Items from all publication dates will be considered for collection. For reference items, we will emphasize current works.

//Ages//
We collect for all ages, to meet the needs of all patrons.

Categories by patrons
This list is not meant to be all encompassing but it does address some of the language levels and various reading abilities of the Cuban American population. ---
 * Cuban American Adults (Fluent in English)
 * This portion of the Cuban American population is fluent in English and can utilize complex English Language resources without assistance.
 * Cuban American Adults (Little to no English)
 * This population is comprised of recent immigrants who cannot speak English or have difficulty with it and may require assistance such as ESL classes. This population also includes the elderly who may lack these skills as well.
 * Cuban American Teens / Young Adults
 * This population includes middle and high school students who are fluent in English and require curriculum support to coincide with the local junior and senior high school.
 * Cuban American Children (Fluent in English)
 * This population is comprised of children who have excellent English language skills and do not require assistance from bilingual staff.
 * Cuban American Children (Little to no English)
 * These children are recent immigrants or others who still require English language training and assistance from bilingual staff.

Issues
Librarians may use their policies to address a problem, such as a book that has been challenged by a patron as being inappropriate. Librarians need to be aware of the changing needs of the community and curriculum and modify these policies to address those needs.

//General guidelines//
The librarians of each branch and department in the RIPL have the responsibility to develop their collections based on community needs and selection criteria. Budget constraints will be taken into account in the purchase of new material. A representative from each department works with the branch director in submitting requests.

As we are working to expand our collection to better meet the needs of our Cuban-American and Latino patrons, the new Latino Outreach Librarian will work with other librarians and the branch directors to select and evaluate material. This librarian will particularly review Spanish-language material.


 * 1) Requested items should not already be in the catalog unless they are particularly popular or of extreme cultural or educational importance to the community.
 * 2) In order for donations to enter the collection, they must reflect the interests and needs of the community.
 * 3) Items will be purchased through discount sellers when possible and efficient, to optimize the library’s resources. However, we recognize that many items will only be available from specialty vendors, and will purchase items from said vendors.
 * 4) Collection evaluation will be conducted once per year to ensure that current holding reflect the evolving needs of the community.
 * 5) Condition of items in the collection will be examined frequently and those in poor condition will be noted. Those no longer fit for circulation or other use will be replaced, provided that they meet collection development needs.

//Gifts//
Gifts are a very welcome part of the collection, but the same process of reviewing and evaluating items for purchase will be followed in the case of gifts. The library will not accept donated items without reviewing them and determining whether they meet the community’s needs and are in accordance with the collection development plan.

//Weeding//
Weeding will be done on an ongoing basis. Items will be assessed for not only condition, but also for relevance, currency, and accuracy.

Evaluation of collection
Evaluation of the collection will be done based on feedback from patrons and a vigorous weeding program of all out of date or irrelevant materials. Demand for specific genres (science fiction, mystery etc.) will be taken in to account as well as popular formats (DVD, large print etc.). Also any out of date mediums (i.e. VHS or cassette tapes) will be weeded to make room for new Cuban American focused resources.

Censorship and challenged materials
Collection development policies are important since a Librarian needs guidelines to develop and manage a collection. These policies should be written to address each of the collection development activities, such as having knowledge of your collection, knowledge of the community, conducting a needs assessment, sharing resources, evaluating the collection by observing the circulation of materials. It is important to provide an effective, balanced, and substantial collection for each ethnic, cultural or linguistic group in the community. Therefore, for the Cuban-American group being served in our library, librarians should purchase materials in the languages, dialects, etc. of this group.

Bookstores:
www.karnobooks.com Email: info@karnobooks.com P.O. Box 2100 Valley Center, CA 92082 U.S. toll free: 1(800) 34 KARNO (760) 749-2304 Fax: (760) 749-4390 From the organizations website: "Howard Karno Books, Inc. since 1973 has specialized in Latin Americana. We cover Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, the Hispanic United States and the Iberian Peninsula."
 * Howard Karno Books, Inc.**

[| http://www.latinamericanbooks.com/] From the organizations website: "Since 1982 The Latin American Book Store has distributed Latin American and Spanish academic publications to university libraries and the communities they serve."
 * The Latin American Book Store, Ltd.**

**Schoenhof’s: Cambridge, MA** [|http://www.schoenhofs.com] This bookstore offers a moderate sized collection on Cuban art, literature, and history. It also has a large collection of bilingual (Spanish/English) and Spanish only Children’s books.

Distributors:
Bookstore & Distributor Universal P.O. Box 450353 Miami, FL 33245-0353 Tel: (305) 642-3234 Fax: (305) 642-7978 www.ediciones.com Ediciones Universal distributes and sells Spanish language materials with a particular emphasis on Cuban literature, history, and culture.
 * Ediciones Universal**

Toll Free//:// **1 800-532-3872** Phone (619) **429-0455** Fax (619) 429-0827 2293 Verus Street San Diego, CA 92154 //Email:// fondosales@fceusa.com www.fceusa.com From the distributor's website: "Fondo de Cultura Economica is a decentralized publishing institution funded by the Mexican government, FCE publish, produce, markets and promotes the works of national Latin American and universal culture, through their own distribution networks and others, inside and outside our borders. Our actions are aimed at the creation, transmission and discussion of values and ideas, as well as training readers, students and professionals."
 * Fondo de Cultura Economica**

http://www.latinamericanvideo.org/ 124 Washington Place New York, NY 10014 Phone: 212-243-4804 Fax: 212-243-2007 Email: info@lavavideo.org From the distributors website: "The Latin American Video Archives (LAVA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the distribution and dissemination of Latin American and Latino video to educational institutions in the United States and Canada. Created over fifteen years ago, LAVA's objective is to facilitate the flow of information from South to North by making available Latin American and Latino films that might not otherwise receive exposure in traditional venues."
 * The Latin American Video Archives**

**LEA Book Distributors** Libros de España y América 170-23 83rd Avenue, Jamaica Hills, New York 11432 [|www.leabooks.com]

Publishers:
1-800-782-5422 http://www.nortebooks.com/ This publisher/distributor publishes and distributes Latin American literature throughout the United States.
 * Ediciones Del Norte**

"Vendors of Latin American and Iberian Resources". University of North Carolina Libraries: http://www.lib.unc.edu/cdd/crs/international/latin/vendor/index.html
 * Resources Used:**

Boston Public Library. (n.d.) //BPL - Collection development and management policy//. Retrieved from http://bpl.org/general/policies/collectiondev.htm

Hennepin County Library. (2006). //Hennepin County Library - Library board policy//. Retrieved from: http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/board_policies/collection_development_and_management.cfm

Pasadena Public Library. (2009). C//ollection Development Policy.// Retrieved from http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/collection.asp

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