Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management

Description: This 4-week online course addresses the basic components of collection development and management (CDM) in libraries. Complete definition of collection development and collection management:

  • Collections policies and budgets as part of library planning;
  • Collection development (selecting for and building collections);
  • Collection management (evaluating and making decisions about existing collections, including decisions about withdrawal, transfer, preservation);
  • Collection analysis—why and how to do it;
  • Outreach, liaison, and marketing;
  • Trends and some suggestions about the future for collection development and management.

2024 Sessions

Click on a date range to register for that session.

Format:  Students receive login instructions one week prior to the course start date. Students have 24/7 access to the course site for the four-week period, and aside from assignment and quiz deadlines, the course may be completed at their own pace. Instructors provide guidance and feedback as students work their way through the course material. Weekly, instructor-moderated chat sessions are the only live course events that students are asked to attend.

Weekly Chat Schedule:  The following times are tentative and may change according to instructor availability.

  • Week 1: Tuesday at 2:00 pm CT
  • Week 2: Wednesday at 10:00 am CT
  • Week 3: Tuesday at 2:00 pm CT
  • Week 4: Monday at 12:00 noon CT

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the range of CDM responsibilities and the required skills and competencies;
  • List the elements in a collection development policy;
  • Write a collection development policy;
  • Explain the importance of collection analysis;
  • Perform one or more types of analysis;
  • Explain outreach and liaison responsibilities and be able to develop a plan to increase your activities in these areas.

Who Should Attend

This is a fundamentals course that will appeal to anyone interested in the topic with no previous experience.

Instructors

  • Alison Armstrong is the Collection Management Librarian at Radford University (VA).
  • Alexandria Arnold is the Executive Director at the Bernardsville (NJ) Public Library.
  • Jennifer Arnold is the Director of Library Services, Central Piedmont (N.C.) Community College.
  • Skye Hardesty is the Head of Collection Development & Discovery at Georgia State University.
  • Edward Lener is the Director of Collections and Technical Services at Virginia Tech.
  • Jennifer Matthews is the Collection Strategy Librarian at Rowan University (NJ).
  • Jen Milligan is retired and is based out of Canastota, NY.
  • Brian Quinn is the Coordinator of Collection Development at Texas Tech University.
  • Donna Smith is the Electronic Resources Librarian at Northern Kentucky University.

Registration

Cost

  • $165.11 Core members;
  • $188.10 ALA members;
  • $209 nonmembers.

How to Register

Register here

By Mail

Register by mail (purchase order or check) by completing this print registration form. Tip: If you’re unable to open this “register by mail” link, right-click the link and save the form to your computer.

Questions?

For registration related questions, call 1-800-545-2433 to speak to our customer service representatives.

Registration Deadline

Registration for each course is limited to 25 people. For courses that are not sold out, online and fax registration ends at 12 noon CDT on the Monday before the course begins. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by two Mondays prior to the course start date.

Core Code of Conduct

Please review the Statement of Conduct before registering.

Tech Requirements

A Moodle-developed site is composed of self-paced modules with facilitated interaction led by the instructors. There are predetermined start and end dates and a suggested pace which include interaction with the instructors and your classmates. Students regularly use the forum and chat room functions to facilitate their class participation. Section quizzes are offered and feedback given, but there is no final class grade.

The course website will be open for 1 week prior to the start date for students to have access to Moodle instructions and set their browser correctly. It will remain open 1 week after the end date for students to complete any sections and submit the course evaluation survey.

Credits

Contact Hours - 16 hours

Core defines contact hours in line with the IACET standards on Continuing Education Units.

Certificates of completion are sent upon successful completion (passing score of 70% or higher) of the course.

This course is one-third of the Collection Management elective course approved by the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP). Collection Management Elective FAQ

Contact

For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling 1-800-545-2433 or email registration@ala.org.

For all other questions or comments related to the webinars, please contact tferren@ala.org.