On Video Games

Over the last few days I’ve had a few people ask me about possibly building a circulating video game collection at my library.  And much to my surprise I’ve wound up as someone who is strongly against the concept. I think games are great for libraries and I would love to start this collection, but [...]

Against My Wishes

I was recently asked if I’d be interested in sitting down with our circ and childrens librarians to discuss the possibility of building a video game collection at my library.  The answer was yes of course, so I’m greatly looking forward to that discussion. However, as much as I might love the idea of us [...]

Comics Redux

Our comics collection seems to be the issue that never dies (granted some of that is my fault).  Up until now we’ve kept them solely in our YA department, and until recently in the damn 741.5 call # that I hate so much.  Well we just ordered this summer’s high school reading lists and found [...]

The Mark of Success

Yesterday I had the latest round in a series of discussions with a colleague about the poor quality of modern book bindings.  In particular this person is resistant towards purchasing materials for the library that have shown a marked tendancy to fall apart in the past. This is a poor argument for a number of [...]

“Special” Collections

OK, I appologize for using finger quotes in the title.   So, on special collections and cataloging.  I hate them with a passion.  I get why we have them (some of the time), but what it means for me is that for a relatively small number of items we’ve decided that the rules of cataloging [...]

Righteous Anger

Got the new American Libraries today, not a bad issue.  One article stood out for me given the week.  Apparently Focus On the Family, a Colorado based Evangelical group has begun an anti-homosexual campaign targeting school libraries in Virginia.  Their methods have been one that has been increasing in popularity lately, bombard libraries with biased [...]

WEEDING!

Just a bit of advice to my peers today.  When starting a massive (2 bookcarts a day for 3 months) weeding project, make sure you work out the logistics first.  In order to do this right: 1) Ensure that no one else is weeding simultaneously 2) Make sure you have enough book carts first or [...]

#62

This Friday Oprah will be unleashing a new book club selection onto the world.  And you can order it now, but there’s no way of knowing what it is.  The mysterious Oprah Book Club #62 (as it appears on Amazon, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor) could be anything. Now we placed an order for it [...]

Keeping Current with Comics

Yesterday I tried to remove whatever collection development credentials people thought I had.  But I did say that the one area of particular expertise I might actually possess is in comics.  So I figured I’d take a shot and do a batch of brief write ups on current comics libraries should be aware of. Secret [...]

I’m a Collection Development Expert Now

I just found out that WebJunction has me listed as one of four blog resources for collection development.  I’m flattered, but I actually feel that that distinction is a bit inappropriate, and I don’t think that’s false modesty on my part.  Sure I’ve discussed the subject a few times, and I enjoy writing book reviews, [...]