SELECTION OF RESOURCES 1 Selection of Resources Ocean City High School Library James Marshall Info 665
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 2 Contents Information about the Library... 3 Library Service Community and Needs... 4 Selection Criteria... 5 Selection Aids... 6 Selection of Current Materials... 9 Selection Process of Retrospective Materials... 11 Retrospective Selection Aids... 12 Selection of Retrospective Materials... 13 Conclusion... 15 Bibliography... 16
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 3 Information about the Library The Ocean City High School has targeted the History department for an expansion of its curriculum and has decided to add a new class for the 2010-2011 school year. The course is to be called History of the Ancient World, a college preparatory level class to be selected as a free elective and to be available to juniors and seniors. In conjunction with this new class, a small fund has been earmarked for the High School Library and Media Center so that it may increase its holdings in this subject area. The High School Library s mission is to serve to students and staff of the High School with a particular attention to the curriculum of the school. The overall collection development objectives are to provide the best services possible to facilitate the mission of the school and to provide learning resources for the students in and out of class. According to the website for the Ocean City School District, the mission is as follows: The Ocean City School District is committed to excellence. The Ocean City School District also provides a learning environment in which all students learn the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to become responsible contributing citizens in a changing global community. The specific collection development goals for this subject area will to enhance the holdings in the subjects covered by the course with an attention to materials that can be used in the classroom. A variety of topics and formats must be utilized to ensure the funding will cover the full range of material required. A school media center will require an emphasis of audiovisual selections, and so that has been reflected here. (Collins 2010) This paper will examine one area of the curriculum, compiling the selections for one topic within the course, Ancient Egypt. All selections will be vetted and related to this topic before submission for inclusion.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 4 Library Service Community and Needs The Ocean City High School is the primary High School for Ocean City as well as the surrounding region. It currently has a student body of roughly 1300 students as well as 125 faculty members and 46 support staff members. The school houses four grade levels, ninth through twelfth and offers the standard core curriculum classes as laid out by the state of new jersey, as well as other free elective classes to enhance the experience of the school. The target population is therefore young adults from the ages of fourteen to nineteen in a learning environment. The materials must be of the appropriate age range to be relevant and useful as well as tied into the curriculum of the classes. Another segment to be targeted are the faculty members that will be teaching the class. Materials must be useful to the teacher, who will have some final input into the selections, and audio-visual materials will need to be approved to show they are valuable for the classroom activities. All items considered must have some value in forming lesson plans or providing more information that the textbook can provide. These selections are anticipated to fulfill certain information needs for this class. First, the audio-visual material will provide supplement to lesson plans and can be shown in class, particularly when the primary teacher is absent. The electronic resources will be available for reference for home assignments or papers that are assigned since they can be accessed remotely. The print sources will be available in the library for both the students and teachers for assignments and lesson plans can be modeled based on the information within the print sources since they will have information beyond that covered in the text.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 5 Selection Criteria Collection development is often done with a collection development policy in mind which relates to the goals and mission of the library as well as certain criteria deemed necessary when approving material. Criteria for this subject collection have been developed which relate to service users, their needs, and the mission of the library. 1. Appropriateness This is the suitability to the target audience which is students with a high reading level in a college preparatory class. This is important for inclusion because it is necessary that the materials not be of too high or too low a level. 2. Audio-Visual Emphasis Materials for a school media center will include a lot of this format and so an emphasis will be placed here. These materials are directly useful for classes. 3. Price Public Schools run on tax-dollars and a tight budget must be adhered to. Materials selected must be low cost to be considered for inclusion; limited funds are being made available and must be stretched. 4. Scope The breadth and depth of coverage of the materials must be considerable. The funding cannot allow a large collection of materials so those that are included must cover a wide range of material. 5. Accuracy Since this is being included in the collection of a learning institution, accuracy is of utmost importance. This relates to currency, correctness, and lack of bias. 6. Relevance to Course Material This material is being included in the collection due to demand from a course being added to the school. As such, all material must relate directly to course work and be relevant to use in the classroom.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 6 Selection Aids 1. Senior High School Library Catalog This is resource which caters to selecting materials for a High School Library and so it was a very useful tool for this subject collection. It is an easy to use site and the items presented are already at the reading level of the target audience, one of the prime selection criteria for the collection. The site also offers subject topics to narrow down the search results. This is one of the best selection aids for this collection for the selection of appropriate materials, but one weakness is the lack of reviews. However, by using this in conjunction with a tool that specializes in reviews, this can be a very useful aid in finding the materials. 2. http://www.pbs.org/ - This is the site for the Public Broadcasting Corporation and boasts the full range of the materials produced and aired. It is an extremely useful tool in searching for educational materials in an audio-visual format as it has a wide range of documentaries on many topics. PBS documentaries are well researched and accurate, thus making excellent audio-visual inclusions in an educational collection. The website is an excellent tool for its easy search options and low prices. Audio-Visual materials can be purchased at reasonable prices and offer a variety of items on each subject. I found this tool very useful in selecting materials for the subject collection because the material was accurate and the variety offered. One weakness is the lack of reviews, but reviews can be found through other tools. I used this tool to find materials and then went to other sites for reviews to ensure they would be interesting enough for the service community. To find these reviews I consulted both www.amazon.com and www.imdb.com.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 7 3. http://www.amazon.com This selection tool is an online bookseller and as such the buyer must be wary that they are in the business of selling not evaluation. However, they have many useful tools which can be used for finding new selections or reviewing existing ones. The site is very user-friendly and materials can be located quickly and easily, furthermore it is very heavily influenced by user feedback. Each item I selected was found quickly using Amazon.com and there a variety of professional reviews as well as user reviews available on the site. The user reviews are particularly useful and they include both good and bad so there will be no bias from the seller. Prices are clearly shown and often at a discount from other retailers. One of the best features of this tool is the recommendations provided by the site. This allows the user to see what others are purchasing and perhaps other related materials that could be useful in the collection. This is one of the best tools because it provides so much material in one place. 4. Ulrich s International Periodical Directory This directory is available as a database and is a current source for in-print materials. Ulrich s is an authoritative source on periodicals of all types, from academic journals to popular magazines and newspapers. It documents over 300,000 periodicals and is a prime resource when searching for serials for any purpose on any subject. This tool is particularly useful for its ease of access and use, it is very easy to search and it provides a variety of information on the items presented. At a glance you are presented with the publisher, price, and whether it is refereed or electronic. This tool was extremely helpful when selecting a periodical because of its presentation, wide range of materials, ease of use, and the information it presents.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 8 5. Books in Print This selection aid includes information on publications for over 3.5 million in-print, out-of-print, and forthcoming books. This is an important tool because it contains the information for many items which can be found either through searching or browsing. One useful feature is that it includes the age and grade range of materials so that items can be assessed a glance for appropriateness. For some titles there are also reviews and synopsis to analyze a title before it is purchased. This is one of the best tools for this purpose because once again it includes a variety of features in one place. 6. www.imdb.com This website is a online database of movies, documentaries, and television shows. It has a user generated review system as well as information on each item included. This was useful for finding user reviews and critical reviews of the audiovisual materials found through other selection aids. While not the best selection aid for finding materials on a topic, it is a good source for review information. 7. Booklist This selection tool offers many reviews of books. I found this useful for checking the reviews of items found through other selection aids that did not include reviews. Used in conjunction with other tools this can be extremely useful. However, I find that Booklist reviews are often included as part of the review supplied by other selection aids. Both Senior High School Library Catalog and Amazon.com used Booklist reviews. 8. www.ipl.org The internet public library provides a number of free links to quality websites on its site. By browsing by subject it is possible to find information on nearly any subject. This selection tool was useful for finding a free internet resource for the digital collection and was useful because the information has been checked by the librarians and can be linked free of cost.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 9 Selection of Current Materials Item 1 (AV Material/DVD) Lion Television (Producer). (2002). Empires: Egypt s Golden Empire, [Television Series] Public Broadcasting Corporation Cost: $19.99 Egypt s Golden Empire is a DVD recording of a three episode television series produced for PBS and aired in 2002. It is a documentary of the history of the ancient Egyptian empire, with stunning visuals and interviews with renowned Egyptologists it is an excellent non-print selection for a collection on Ancient Egypt. Criteria: Appropriateness, A/V Emphasis, Price, Scope, Accuracy, Relevance From: http://www.pbs.org This DVD is a quality product of PBS and is available for purchase from its website at a low cost to the library. From: http://www.imdb.com This documentary received a 7.7/10 rating and favorable reviews on the site. Item 2 (Print Periodical) KMT Communications, Inc. (1990 present) KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt, United States This magazine presents scholarly information and research on the ancient Egypt civilization in print format. It has been in publication for nearly two decades and includes illustrations and book reviews. It has a strict focus on the topic of the collection and is published quarterly to provide a maximum amount of information on the subject. Cost: $35.00 subscription per year domestic Criteria Appropriateness, Price, Scope, Accuracy, Relevance From: Ulrich s International Periodicals Directory A premier magazine on Egyptology with articles by top names in the discipline. From: www.amazon.com Several user reviews are very favorable, citing great articles, beautiful photography, news of current discoveries.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 10 Item 3 (Print Monograph) Flecter, Joann. (2009) Exploring the life, myth, and art of ancient Egypt. United States. Rosen Publishing Cost: $29.95 Criteria: Appropriateness, Price, Scope, Accuracy, Relevance This selection is a part of a series that is current and targeted for the service community of the library. It is a low cost book with a wide scope and excellently illustrated for use in handouts and PowerPoint presentations. From: Senior High School Library Catalog Part of the Civilizations of the World Series this is a fine selection aimed at the high school level From: Booklist - Offers a rich and informative introduction to ancient Egyptian culture. Abundantly illustrated with beautifully rendered color representations of architecture, works of art, and other artifacts Item 4 (Print Monograph) David, A. Rosalie. (2008) Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. United States. Oxford University Press, Incorporated. Cost: $45.00 This monograph is a comprehensive history of the entire range of ancient Egyptian civilization, from its birth to the early centuries AD. It is an accessible and clearly organized work on every facet of the civilization and the thematically arranged chapters gives the reader easy access to different topics. Criteria: Appropriateness, Price, Scope, Accuracy, Relevance From: Books in Print This newly revised edition takes into account the discoveries of the last few years that have led Egyptologists to change their perspective on some aspects of life in ancient Egypt. From: http://www.amazon.com The author of this book is Keeper of Egyptology at the Manchester Museum and Reader in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. She is the author of twenty books on Egypt-related subjects, including Discovering Ancient Egypt.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 11 Item 5 (Electronic Resource Free) Fordham University, (2/21/2007) The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook, retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.html. March 17, 2010. Cost: Free This is a comprehensive online resource provided free of charge by Fordham University. It s Egyptology section is divided by era as well as topic. It includes a wide variety of primary documents translated into English as well as a number of links to other free sites. Appropriateness, A/V Emphasis, Price, Scope, Accuracy, Relevance From: www.ipl.org - Provides a large amount of online texts covering a wide range of ancient civilizations beginning with the origins of man and including Ancient Egypt. Selection Process of Retrospective Materials The selection process for retrospective materials is necessarily different from the process for selecting current materials. The criteria proposed for selecting current materials will still remain but certain ones will gain a greater significance. A book that was appropriate for the target audience will still be a suitable choice, but facts may become outdated with new discoveries. Audio-Visual materials also need to be thoroughly reviewed to ensure that they are not out of date, particularly for a school age audience. For older materials price may also become an issue if the item has gone out of print and may be difficult to find. I found that an excellent process for selecting retrospective materials is to find what materials have been cited by other sources. If an item has been cited repeated by newer works then it is most likely still current and would be a valuable asset to the collection. It is still important to find reviews for retrospective materials, and this can be done in a variety of ways. Online Booksellers as well as databases with a wide scope will be able to offer reviews. One further step is to consult other libraries, an item that is widely held has shown that it could
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 12 withstand the test of time and has been thought relevant enough to remain in the collections of other libraries. This process will differ slightly from the selection of current materials because certain criteria must be given an increased importance. Currency of material is not an issue with recently published works, but when dealing in retrospective materials it is imperative to ensure accuracy. As mentioned before, price and the ability to locate an item will also be a factor to a library with a budget. One other difference is the ability to see how an item has stood out over time, if an older item is not widely held then it most likely has been weeded from many collections, this technique is not as accurate with newer works. Retrospective Selection Aids 1. Worldcat This is a database that includes information on the collections of libraries around the world. It can be easily searched by subject and presents the materials in order of the most-held. It can also be used to search in a variety of formats and includes current as well as retrospective items. When choosing a retrospective item is in important for the librarian to know if the item is still current and a valuable addition to the collection. Worldcat allows a librarian to see which items are the most-widely held or if a specific item is still included in other libraries or has been weeded. This aid is more useful than others because of the large number of items and libraries that it analyzes. 2. www.amazon.com This selection tool is useful for current materials, but is also a good tool for finding and reviewing retrospective materials. The reviews are current and therefore will reflect a modern reader s view of the older material. It often includes critical reviews alongside the user reviews and I found this to be an important source for
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 13 retrospective reviews. Since it also serves as a used-bookseller it has a large number of titles and included reviews of books that were not available through other formats. 3. Book Review Index Online This is an excellent online database designed to search for book reviews and is an excellent tool for retrospective materials. While reviews for older materials may be difficult to find, this aid has a large number of items reviewed. As such, it is better than other aids which have a focus on newer materials. The database also includes several reviews if they are available to compare, this is more valuable than Booklist and similar tools since it will include the reviews in all of those selection aids. Selection of Retrospective Materials Item 1 (Print Monograph) Zauzich, Karl-Theodor (Author). Roth, Ann Macy (Translator). (1992) Hieroglyphs without Mystery: An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Writing. Austin. University of Texas Press Cost: $19.95 Zauzich explains the basic rules of the writing system and the grammar and then applies them to thirteen actual inscriptions taken from objects in European and Egyptian museums. By following his explanations and learning the most commonly used glyphs, readers can begin to decode hieroglyphs themselves and increase their enjoyment of both museum objects and ancient Egyptian sites. Criteria; Appropriateness, Price, Accuracy, Relevance From: http://www.amazon.com - This popular book was originally published in Germany in 1980 as Hieroglyphen ohne Geheimnis. It is cited by five books and is highly reviewed. From: Worldcat: Held in 710 libraries worldwide.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 14 Item 2 (Print Monograph) Silverman, David P. ed (1997) Ancient Egypt. United States. Oxford University Press Cost: $21.50 This volume is cited over 100 times and is well reviewed by both Booklist and the Midwest Book Review. User reviews are all commendable and it has a variety of high quality images, maps, and charts in addition to the many articles by Egyptologists. Held by over 1300 libraries. (Worldcat) Criteria: Appropriateness, Scope, Price, Accuracy, Relevance From: Senior High School Catalog A recommended work for the target age group that is retrospective in nature. From: Book Review Index Online This book contains 200 color photographs, maps, and charts. There are articles on every facet of ancient Egyptian life. Item 3 (AV Material/DVD) Macaulay, David.(Writer) Klien, Larry (Director). (1990) Pyramids. [Documentary] United States. Public Broadcasting Corporation Cost: $24.99 DVD based on the book by Macaulay which is held by more libraries than any other title on Ancient Egypt. (Worldcat) Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt's people, combining live footage and animation. It delves into life in the fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt and details the construction of its most lasting monument, the great pyramids of Giza. Criteria: Appropriateness, A/V Emphasis, Price, Accuracy, Relevance From: http://www.pbs.org A work by PBS which is known for its well-researched documentaries. From http://www.amazon.com - Many excellent reviews suggest viewing this documentary and the current state of the reviews shows that the item is not out-of-date
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 15 Conclusion This exercise is an excellent way to show the variety of aids and tools that are available for the selection process. It emphasizes the need to consult several tools and aids to decide whether an item will be a valuable addition to a collection. By requiring different formats for the project, it is necessary to examine tools for not only monographs, but serials, audio-visual materials, and electronic resources. The selection process is a time-consuming and deliberate discipline, it requires a knowledge of many different selection aids and an adherence to certain criteria with respect to the mission of the library.
SELECTION OF RESOURCES 16 Bibliography Collins, Catherine (2010) Week 3: Publishers & Producers of information resources; The Selection process; Selection of print materials. Lecture Notes Collins, Catherine (2010) Week 4: Selection of electronic resources; Licensing & management of aggregated resources. Lecture Notes Collins, Catherine (2010) Week 5: Selection of non-print resources; Selection of alternative resources; Censorship & intellectual freedom. Lecture Notes Ocean City School District (2009-2010) retrieved from http://www.oceancityschools.org/ March 18, 2010