Collection Development Policy of the Lubuto Library, Lusaka, Zambia

Transcription

1 Sarah Biro Info 665-Collection Development Assignment 1 1/24/10 Collection Development Policy of the Lubuto Library, Lusaka, Zambia

2 Table of Contents Overview Mission and Goals 3 Service Community 3 Demographics of the User Community 4 Parameters of the Collection 4 Patron Needs 5 Details of the Subject Areas & Formats Collected Primary & Secondary 7 Formats 7 Selectors 8 Selection Criteria 8 Selection Aids 9 Miscellaneous Gifts 10 Deselection & Discards 12 Evaluation 12 Complaints & Censorship 13 Bibliography 14 2

3 Overview Mission and Goals The Lubuto Library Project is already very clear about its intentions and mission for libraries. The word Lubuto comes from the Bemba language, spoken in central Africa, and means knowledge, enlightenment, and light. A fitting title, the project hopes to spread these three important ideas to the street children of Zambia. Said more practically, the project s mission and objectives is to build: high quality, open-access libraries to serve Africa's street kids and other vulnerable children and youth. The library provides a safe haven and an opening to the world beyond the bleak streets. Lubuto offers educational services and the simple pleasure of books and the arts for children who find themselves alone in the world. Giving the burgeoning numbers of street children the chances they deserve to develop their imaginations and to realize their potential is Lubuto s challenge ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). These goals are well-suited for the project. Service community The Lubuto Library was created as a street kids library ("Lubuto library project," 2009). Street kids are children or teenagers who don't have an adult to care for them on a fulltime basis. Most of these orphans are out of traditional school. The Lubuto Library Project website provides a brief description of the lives of the children the organization seeks to serve: Life on the street is harsh with no protection from rain, wind or cold. Passersby often view the children with suspicion and hostility. Street kids are chased by police, and the younger and weaker are often victimized by the older and stronger. These children face illness without care, and there are no reliable statistics on their life expectancy nor even on their very existence. Many, maybe most, do not survive to adulthood ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). 3

4 Additional information about street children is available from sources such as Street Kids International ( and United Nation Children s Fund, also called UNICEF ( Demographics of the User Community As noted in the previous section, it is difficult to find reliable statistics about street children. According to UNICEF statistics, more than 20 % of Zambian children have lost one or both of their parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Because of the way their parents died, these children are often stigmatized and discriminated against. As a result, they are at a higher risk of becoming a victim of violence, child labor, or other abuses. Some 75,000 children live on the street, some as young as three years old ("UNICEF," 2009). In Lusaka alone, the number is estimated at around 1,000 (ActionZambia, 2010). Concrete information on how these children survive does not exist. The Lubuto Project website states that some street children sleep in the corner of a relative's or neighbor's house; some must find food and clothing on their own; others have no place in the world but the street. Their home may be a piece of cardboard laid out on a sidewalk, inside concrete pipes or even in a tree ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). Parameters The collection is limited to books that are intended for boys and girls from early childhood to age 18. The emphasis is on hardcover, informational books with lots of illustrations. Because paperbacks have a limited shelf life, they must be new in order to be included in the collection. It is also important to consider that the children s first language is 4

5 not English. The Lubuto Libraries do not do any retrospective collecting. It is especially crucial that the science and reference books must be current ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). The libraries will not include magazines, vanity titles, self-published books, catalogs, textbooks, instruction manuals, pamphlets, study guides, school readers, individual volumes from a multi-volume work work, publishers advance reading copies, culture specific titles, and movie and television tie-ins ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). Patron Needs I do not think it is possible or fair to say if the Lubuto Library collection is oriented most prominently towards any of educational, recreational, or informational needs. Instead, the library has a broad scope. It seeks to meet all of the three types of needs, as well as cultural awareness, artistic expression, social services, and community building; the library hopes to be full-service, and provide each of these depending on the individual needs of the children who use it. According to the Project website, Children use Lubuto libraries to learn about the world, become literate and to improve reading skills. The library can be a path to formal schooling, as well a place for youthful enlightenment ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). Taken from the website, the following statement clearly illustrates that the Lubuto Library Project is very wide-reaching in its intentions: Library collections can offer these children enrichment on many levels. Books can provide information on practical skills or on health and safety issues vital for survival. They can provide, on various levels, information and education about the world, its history and cultures, and the philosophical and scientific understanding all children need to acquire as they prepare to take their place in the world. They can guide children to new forms of recreation or inspire new arts. Fiction and poetry can give some escape from their difficult and circumscribed conditions and inspire hope for a better life ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). 5

6 Less tangibly, the Lubuto Libraries hope to provide the chance for constructive engagement with society and personal fulfillment. Especially important for the vulnerable street children of Zambia, the libraries give them the comfort of knowing that society provides a safe place for them and cares about their welfare, and from this awareness, street children begin to develop self-confidence ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). This knowledge alone is not concrete or detailed enough to ensure that the educational and informational needs of the children are met. According to the website, the schooling curriculum in African countries is very different from the United States. In order to specifically meet the needs of the target group, more research must be done to discover the curriculum in African schools. The Lubuto libraries collections are non-circulating. The users of the libraries are orphans and homeless. They do not have a home to bring the books to. Instead, the libraries are a safe-place for children to get away from their hard street lives. Thinking practically, since the patrons do not have a home address, there is no way to hold the children accountable for the items they would check out. Having non-circulating materials will allow the collection to be more sustainable. In addition to the reading needs of the street children of Zambia, the Lubuto Library Project partners with shelters, drop-in centers, orphanages and other community centers to meet these children s most basic needs. The library should engage in meaningful communication with these partners to discuss the informational needs of Africa s street children. 6

7 Ultimately, the Lubuto libraries have the same goal that libraries in the United States have traditionally played, opening the doors of opportunity for marginalized people while providing valuable resources for communities to flourish ( Lubuto Library Project, 2009). Details of the Subject Areas & Formats Collected Primary & Secondary Users The primary users of this collection are the street children of Zambia. The collection exists to serve their information needs. Lubuto libraries are places where children can read for themselves, look at books or have books read to them. Because some users are illiterate, the secondary users are the volunteers and staff members who read the books to the street children. Formats While collection development is generally, a balancing act of formats, the most immediate needs of the user community and the resources available for this project are most conducive to the print format (Evans, & Saporano, 49). The Lubuto Library Project website states that Books are the simplest, most appropriate, and most sustainable medium to meet the needs of our diverse target group at present (2009). As a result, for not and for the foreseeable future, this collection will consist entirely of print materials. However, eventually, the Lubuto Libraries seek to add computers and video (and equipment) donations. Video equipment from the U.S. is incompatible with that of African countries. Accordingly, the future video equipment donations will have to be from countries that use the PAL system, used in Zambia, or the SECAM system, used in Francophone countries. 7

8 Although Lubuto Library Project funds are not currently going towards computers, the Lubuto Library Project is partnering with the One Laptop Per Child program. More information about how to donate a laptop is available at Selectors There are two types of selectors for this collection. The first type are the volunteers and staff members in the United States who make distinctions between donated books and choose which ones to keep for the collection and which ones to put in a book sale. While these people do a large part of the work, the Collections and Services Advisory Council has the final say. Their discretion is official. They are experts in the fields of special libraries, knowledge management, collection development, information technology, child services librarianship, and African librarianship. The Collection and Services Advisory Council also make purchasing decisions with funds donated, as well as are the group who write the collection development policy. Selection Criteria When making selections, the Lubuto Library Project adheres to the traditional selection criteria for print materials, as listed by Catherine Collins. The selectors must be aware of the authority of the creators, the scope of the work, accuracy, treatment, literary merit, and physical quality (5). Especially, perhaps most, important is to be aware of the appropriateness of the item selected. What content is suitable for the intended audience is very unique; it is different than what is suitable for children in the U.S. Their unique situation requires that the selectors exercise great discretion and caution for subject material. From Evans and Saporano s list of sample 8

9 selection guideline statements, the following are also appropriate criteria for including in the Lubuto Library Project collection development policy: Select items useful to clients. Try to provide both, or all, points of view, or controversial subjects. Do not select textbooks. Do not select items of a sensational, violent, or inflammatory nature (61). Of lesser concern for building the Lubuto collection is the criteria of treatment, arrangement & organization, literary merit, reputation of the author, aesthetic quality, and comparison with other works. The Collections and Services Advisory Council may also take these things into account when choosing items to purchase, but the volunteers cannot be expected to be experts on these criteria when choosing among donated books. Selection aids The primary selection aid the Lubuto Library Project will utilize is recommended lists. Especially for books the libraries will purchase, it would be helpful to consult a recommended list for Zambian school children. This way, the selectors, many of whom are not Africans, can make themselves aware of what the schools are recommending for children. In addition to recommended lists, the selectors will utilize national bibliographies or bibliographic databases to ensure that local publishers are reflected in the collection. Bibliographic databases will also help the selectors evaluate their collection in comparison to other Zambian libraries (Evans, & Saporano, 91). As much of the library s collection relies on donations, if a book that is donated is in question, the selectors may wish to consult reviews. They should be sure that the review source they choose is one that is designed to evaluate the book, not simply to promote it. 9

10 While these selection aids will surely be useful to the Lubuto Library Project, perhaps the most important selection aid will be informal sources. By communicating with Lubuto partners, African librarians, and other personal acquaintances, the selectors will receive suggestions for titles, recommendations for areas of focus, and ideas for materials to avoid. Miscellaneous Gift Policy A gift policy is a necessity in the collection policy for the Lubuto Library Project. The Lubuto Library Project is a tax exempt 501 (c) (3) public charity. As such, the libraries rely solely on the donations of individuals, foundations, organizations, and corporate sponsors to develop its collection ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). While some sponsors contribute financially, many others wish to donate books. Because of this fact, the gift policy will make up a large portion of the complete Collection Development Policy. Since such a large portion of Lubuto books come from gifts, the Collection Development Policy must be clear that the library accepts only items that match the collection profile. According to the Project coordinators, We emphasize respect for users of Lubuto Libraries and include only the best books in Lubuto Collections ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). Still, even if donors attempt to meet the collection profile, the library cannot accept everything; it must have an appropriate way of discarding books that will not be shipped to Africa. The Lubuto Library Project will have book sales of donated books that it is unable to use in its collection. Profits from these sales will go towards shipping costs to Africa. While I do not think this would be a prominent concern, the policy should also make clear that the Lubuto Library will not accept conditional gifts. 10

11 The Lubuto Library Project already has guidelines for donating books. According to the Project s website: needed are picture books, fiction and non-fiction, but especially informational books with lots of illustrations or photographs along with simple explanations and definitions. Books should be in brand-new condition, not outdated, and in English. Reference books should be current and in complete sets. Hardcover is preferred but sturdy trade paperback books can also be included ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). In addition to providing suggestions, it is also necessary to list items that are prohibited. Lubuto Library is unable to accept the following items: include: pop-up books, magazines, textbooks, instruction manuals, pamphlets, study guides, school readers, publishers advance reading copies, single volumes from an incomplete set, movie and television tie-ins (for example, Disney books), or books that strongly seek to promote a particular cause or religious or ideological point of view ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). Important considerations for donors to know are that: Books are for boys and girls from early childhood through about age 18 whose first language is usually not English. Lubuto collections are non-circulating; the children will only be able to read books during visits to the library. Books dealing with subjects relevant only to the U.S. should be limited in number. We especially seek books about or set in Africa. Also, some books written for an African-American audience will make very good additions to Lubuto collections. Books should be in great condition, containing no scribbling, torn or discolored pages or broken spines ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). According to the Board of Directors, good non-fiction choices to donate to the collection Well-presented illustrated books on nature, science, sports, crafts, technology, geography, history and especially biographies; Simple, clear explanations of how things work; Simple science books (which don t require equipment for doing experiments); Factual stories about how children live all over the world; We do not include books that strongly seek to promote a particular cause or religious or ideological point of view ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). 11

12 Similarly, according to the Board of Directors, good fiction choices to donate to the collection include: Stories, poetry and drama--but please be sensitive to cultural and economic differences; one way to ensure that you are transcending cultural differences is to stick to the classics: classical and folk literature. Top-notch, but shorter and easily-readable, contemporary stories, mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction, classic titles for young readers; no long novels or series books for older readers. Easy chapter books with real-life stories and human characters (rather than complex fantasy stories). Think about books that embody the ways in which reading brings hope into the world. Please omit books that reflect a very affluent lifestyle (big houses, cars, lots of electronic equipment and other possessions) ("Lubuto Library Project," 2009). As the present guidelines seem to be well thought out and fit completely the Project s mission and goals, I would incorporate the existing guidelines into the official Collection Development Policy. Deselection & Discard Policy The Lubuto Library policy will include a section on weeding. In the unique case of this library, the greater concern will be for a clear statement about determining when to discard wornout items, rather than for weeding unused materials. I would assume that the street children of Lubuto are grateful for any type of items that are presented to them, and that books receive about equal use. Also, because the entire collection is non-circulating, it would be difficult to measure usage objectively. For the discard policy, I would keep it very simple, only recommending that books that require repair, be discarded immediately. Precious Project funds should not be spent trying to repair books. Evaluation 12

13 According to Evans and Saporano, evaluation is essential to collection development. For the Lubuto Library Project, evaluation must be conducted to identify collection strengths and weaknesses. In order for staff members to evaluate the collection, a record must be kept of the number of books processed in various subject categories such as stories, geography, literature, arts, health, sciences, technology, and language, among others ( Lubuto Collection Statistics, 2008). Annually, the Board of Directors must review these collection statistics and take appropriate action. Presumably, appropriate action will be to tell donors and volunteers what sub-categories are lacking in materials, and which ones have plenty of materials. By including this evaluation policy for the collection, the Lubuto Board of Directors will save time and trouble in determining how to evaluate the collection (Evans, & Saponaro, 63). Complaints & Censorship For the Lubuto Library Project, I believe it is unnecessary to have a complaints policy. Evans and Saporano believe a complaints policy is necessary to defuse the situation of a parent or borrower is upset with an item s inclusion in the collection (63). In the case of the Lubuto libraries, the users do not have parents to be upset for the inclusion of materials. In addition, the selectors take extra care to make sure that all material is appropriate for this unique group of children. Particularly because these kids are relying on the charity of the library, they will not complain about an item. They will be grateful for having any item, as opposed to nothing. While I would not include a formal complaints policy, if a user asks for an item (or more likely, a type of item) that is not in the collection, the staff should try to buy the missing item if it fits within the collection parameters. 13

14 Bibliography ActionZambia, Initials. (2010). Zambia statistics. Retrieved from mbia Evans, G.E., & Saponaro, M.Z. (2005). Developing library and information center collections. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Collins, C. (2010). Info 665 Week Three Lecture Notes. Lubuto collection statistics. (2008). Lubuto Library Project. (2009). Retrieved from UNICEF. (2009). Retrieved from 14