Jason Sharp

Part 2.4: The Policy Statement (10% of total grade)

The author will be working with the Whitehaven Library, located in Memphis, Tennessee,
to expand the Young dult !iction collection" The author is employed as the Youth Services
#epresentative at this library, which provides him with access to in$ormation about the collection
that the public would not normally be able to ac%uire, in$ormation that he can then use $or the
purposes o$ this assignment" Much o$ the in$ormation $or this assignment has been based on his
own personal work experience, internal documents and in$ormation gained a large number o$
community contacts"
&"'"( )*#)+S," *sually beginning with an in$initive, this section clearly and brie$ly
indicates why the collection is being developed"
To expand and update an existing Young dult -ollection to ensure that a relevant and
balanced collection exists $or recreational purposes"
&"'"& *./,0-," -learly identi$y those who are most likely to use the collection and
$or what"
/n Section &"1"(, the author identi$ies three primary groups interested in Young
dult !iction at the Whitehaven Library2 Teenagers, Young dults and dults over the
age o$ 33" These patrons have reported that they are most interested in this collection $or
recreational reading and to increase their social awareness, additional details can be
$ound in Section &"1 on the wants and needs o$ these patrons"
&"'"1 .,!/0/T/+0" )resent a brie$ de$inition o$ your collection sub4ect or scope using
appropriate descriptors" /nclude ma4or L- or ..- class numbers i$ your
in$ormation agency is a library"
The author will be expanding on the Young dult -ollection, speci$ically
$ocusing on $ictional materials while adding only a $ew select graphic novels that are
adapted $rom popular Young dult !iction" These graphic novels will placed in the Y
!iction area alongside the other Y adaptations 56Witch 7 Wi8ard, n"d"9"
The terms Y !iction and Young dult !iction are used by the author:s target
library in the Whitehaven area o$ Memphis, Tennessee 56The ;unger <ames=, n"d"a9 and
World-at 56The ;unger <ames=, n"d"b9 while the Library o$ -ongress uses the class
number 6)>?= 56-lassi$ying -Y- Material@=, &A(&9" More in$ormation on other
alternate class numbers can be $ound in ssignment &"&"&"
&"'"' L0<*<," /denti$y the languages needed by in$ormation seekers and which are
important $or materials in your topic" !or sub4ects such as art history or a cra$t,
where materials o$ten contain minimal text and maximum illustration, $oreign
language exclusion may be waived" Typically, most items would be selected only
in ,nglish"
Materials will be selected only in ,nglish"
This decision has been made because the author and his sta$$ at Whitehaven have not had
a single re%uest $or Young dult materials in a language other than ,nglish in over three
years and these linguistically diverse Y collections can be more easily procured in
alternate libraries such as the -ordova Library 5B" .aily, personal communication,
+ctober (C, &A(19"
&"'"3 <,+<#);/- ,M);S/S" -learly identi$y geographical priorities within your
sub4ect" Typically, the selector begins with the region where the community is
located and then expands outward in concentric circles" !or example, will the
model railroading collection include model railroading in Spain or 4ust in the
*"S"D
-ertain $ictional materials in this collection may include other geographical areas 5such
as a historical $iction book about World War // $ocusing on !rance or <ermany9 however
the ma4ority o$ the materials will place an emphasis on the *nited States to ensure
relatabilty $or teen readers"
&"'"C -+*0T#Y +! /SS*0-," /n most communities, only materials issued in 0orth
merica and <reat Britain would be considered"
+nly materials issued in 0orth merica and <reat Britain will be considered with the
ma4ority o$ materials $rom 0orth merica"
This decision was made a$ter looking at the materials already purchased $or this
collection and discussing the typical countries o$ issuance with the primary Young dult
collection development contact 5" ndrews, personal communication, +ctober (?,
&A(19" This contact stated that other library branches may receive titles $rom
commonwealth countries such as 0ew >ealand and ustraliaE however Whitehaven:s
population almost exclusively read titles $rom 0orth merica"
&"'"? -;#+0+L+</-L ,M);S/S" -learly indicate which time periods are o$
priority within your sub4ect" !or example, are you interested in model railroading
in the (Fth -enturyD
Multiple time periods will be considered" Science $iction typically occurs in the $uture
and historical $iction occurs in the past, however many o$ the materials will be $rom
contemporary times to ensure contextual understanding $or the readers"
&"'"G .T, +! /SS*," /ndicate i$ only new or new and retrospective items will be
selected" Most communities are interested in newly issued items, but some will
consider retrospective items as well"
+nly items $rom the past (A years will be considered unless they are part o$ a popular
series with a priority being given to materials $rom the past 1 years" This is to ensure that
readers receive the newest and most popular materials available and is based on
interviews with representatives o$ the target segments 5Section &"1"1, Huestion 3,
Material -haracteristics9"
&"'"F TY), 0. !+#MT +! MT,#/LS" #ank, in order o$ their importance to the
collection, the $ormats and treatments that will be selected" /ndicate the relative
importance o$ text, images, audio, $ull motion video, and the like"
(" Text materials 5;ardcover9
&" Text materials 5)aperback9
1" MangaI<raphic 0ovels based on Young dult !iction
Text materials will be given the highest priority as they will bene$it the highest
number o$ users" 0ot all users will have access to ereaders and the lengthy process o$
locating an item online, creating an account and sending it to an ereader 56<etting
Started@=, n"d"9 may dissuade some $rom making the attempt" ;ardcover materials will
be given a priority over paperback materials as they are less likely to need weeding a$ter
heavy use, although some paperbacks will still need to be purchased due to cost or $ormat
constraints" Young dult Mangas and <raphic 0ovels will also now be included a$ter
consulting with the interviewees in ssignment &"1, however only materials based on
Young dult !iction will be included to help narrow the selection process" ,books,
udiobooks and .J.:s will not be included as the Memphis )ublic Library system
already has a si8able +verdrive collection o$ FGA $iction titles 5udiobooks K !iction9 and
the author has little input related to that collection and wishes to $ocus on materials that
would most bene$it the target library"
&"'"(A -#/T,#/" List and brie$ly discuss subect speci$ic criteria that are important or
need to be considered in developing a collection on this particular sub4ect"
<eneral criteria that apply to virtually all sub4ects or to a particular $ormat
do not need to appear here"
special emphasis must be placed on evaluating material $or appropriateness and
on $inding ways to preemptively de$end a selection" This is especially important
considering that many adults may view these materials as being targeted towards children
and teenagers under the age o$ (G years despite the wide age range o$ actual readers"
wide range o$ reading levels must be represented as this collection targets readers $rom
ages (& to adulthood 5see ssignment &"1"(9"
wide range o$ sub4ects must be considered to appeal to the widest range o$ readers as
Young dult Literature is not simply a genre, but an entire category o$ literature
5Strickland, &A(19"
&"'"(( S*BJ,-TS 0. -+LL,-T/0< L,J,LS" The larger sub4ect is divided into
appropriate categories, topics or parts as indicated by your community analysis"
)arts may be logically consistent and parallel or they may be mixed" ,ach part
identi$ied above is assigned a depth or priority level such as 1 or B" You may
create your own coding scheme or use a standard one" The scheme may be
alphabetic or numeric" ,ach value should indicate a level o$ priority or depth" ll
parts would not ordinarily have the same priority" Below the sub4ectKpriority table
de$ine each o$ the levels that you have used" Level de$initions need to be speci$ic
in terms o$ number o$ items"
.uring an interview with the primary Young dult collection development contact 5"
ndrews, personal communication, +ctober (?, &A(19 the author learned that there is no
identi$ied priority level $or $iction at the Memphis Library System and that collection
development was based on the particular community:s needs and the materials available"
The author looked at what materials were most re%uested by Whitehaven patrons, what
genres had the highest circulation 5through anecdotal evidence only because Y genres
are not distinguished in the catalog like dult !iction genres would be9 and what genres
needed to be expanded upon to create a balance collection" The author also used the
results $rom a &AAF Teen #eaders survey Lsee appendix M that was published in the
+ctober &C, &AAF issue o$ )ublisher:s Weekly 5!it8gerald, &AAF9" This survey provided
in$ormation on the main genres read by the teens polled and the author used this
in$ormation as a $ramework $or determining what materials would be most re%uested"
*sing in$ormation gained $rom this survey and $rom the -ollection .evelopment
department 5" ndrews, personal communication, +ctober (G, &A(19 the author created
the $ollowing list o$ priorities"
Genres
Priority
Level
Dept
h
-ontemporary !iction 1 A
Quickly gaining in popularity, limited
materials
Books related to movies, TJ,
media
2 A
Books become very popular i the
orm o media becomes popular!
Series !iction " A
#ery popular, especially important to
$ll gaps in e%isting collection
*rban !iction & B
Popular, but lo'er on priority level
due to a lack o a'ard 'inning
options compared to other genres!
MangaI<raphic 0ovels ( B Popular, but lo'er on priority level
due to a lack o a'ard 'inning
options compared to other genres!
#omance 5paranormal and
contemporary9
) *
remains popular, but already o'n a
large number o materials
Science !ictionI.ystopian + *
remains popular, but already o'n a
large number o materials
!antasy , *
remains popular, but already o'n a
large number o materials
;orror - *
remains popular, but already o'n a
large number o materials
;istorical !iction 1. D
o'n only a small number o these
materials, but not popular
)riority
&AN materials needed
large number o$ materials are needed $or these extremely popular genres"
)riority B
(AK&A materials needed
These materials are very popular, however they are not typically nominated $or most awards L/n
the &A(& YLS Best !iction list, not a single entry is categori8ed as *rban !iction 56&A(1 Best
!iction=, &A(19M and %uality can be a concern" )urchases will still be re%uired due to the high
demand, but the number o$ materials will not be as high as those genres with a wider selection o$
comparatively high %uality materials"
)riority -
3K(A materials needed
large number o$ materials in these genres have already been purchased at the target branch and
the collection simply needs an update"
)riority .
Less than 3 materials needed
Jery $ew materials are needed at the target branch, although some noteworthy and awardK
winning titles should be purchased to balance the collection"
&"'"(& +T;,# -+LL,-T/+0S" /denti$y other ma4or accessible collections or sources
o$ in$ormation on your sub4ect accessible to members o$ your agency or
community" These are the collections you would re$er users to a$ter they have
exhausted your collection" Brie$ly characteri8e these collections"
)atrons have access to several other collections throughout the -ity o$ Memphis" Young
dult items are $re%uently available $or purchase online or via bookstores, however these
options re%uire access to disposable income and online purchases can re%uire credit card
in$ormation that teenage patrons or those on $ixed incomes may not have access to"
udio and ,book collections are available through the Memphis Library Website,
however these may re%uire computer access and items and only a limited number o$
items are available $or circulation at one time 56Memphis +verdrive=, n"d"9"
Young dult collections are available via other Memphis Library branches and in the
author:s experience as a Youth Services LibrarianE patrons can have access to these
materials within &' hours" This is likely to be the best way to obtain $ree items, however
it reduces the chance to browse materials and not all patrons will be able to return to the
library within the designated hold time"
School Libraries will be the $inal option to obtain $ree Young dult materialsE however
$ictional selections were reported to be limited in some high schools during interviews
with local teens 5." ;oward, personal communication, +ctober F, &A(19 and 5T" ustin,
personal communication, +ctober F, &A(19"
ppendix 2
/een0eads!com survey detailing 'hat
percentage o 1A readers read various
genres 2
3iction ,+
4eries +)
0omances +&
3antasy )-
Adventure )&
5ysteries64uspense6/hrillers )1
Books that are made into movies ("
7orror64upernatural &&
*lassics &"
7istorical 3iction &2
Paranormal "+
4ci8$ "&
Pop *ulture 2&
4hort 4tory *ollections 22
*omics or Graphic 9ovels 2.
5emoir 2.
9on$ction 2.
5anga 1,
Biography 1)
7istory 1(
#e$erences
&A(1 Best !iction $or Young dults" 5&A(19" Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)"
#etrieved +ctober &&, &A(1, $rom http2IIwww"ala"orgIyalsaIb$yaI&A(1list
" ndrews, personal communication, +ctober (G, &A(1
udiobooks K !iction" 5n"d"9" Memphis Public Library Digital Media Collection" #etrieved
+ctober (?, &A(1, $rom http2IImemphis"lib"overdrive"comI3(!B.F3CK'1K'-!1K
B.G?K??B'&.&GF-(!I(AI3AIenISearch#esults"htmD
Search/.O(?A3(CCFs7SortByO-oll.ate
T" ustin, personal communication, +ctober F, &A(1
B" .aily, personal communication, +ctober (C, &A(1
!it8gerald, -" 5&AAF, +ctober &C9" What do teens wantD Publisher's ee!ly, &&K&C"
<etting started with Pindle" 5n"d"9" "verDrive #elp $ #ome" #etrieved +ctober (?, &A(1, $rom
http2IIhelp"overdrive"comIarticleIA'?1I<ettingKstartedKwithKPindle
." ;oward, personal communication, +ctober F, &A(1
Memphis +verdrive" 5n"d"9" Memphis Public Library Digital Media Collection" #etrieved
+ctober (?, &A(1, $rom http2IImemphis"lib"overdrive"comI
Strickland, " 5n"d"9" brie$ history o$ young adult literature" C%%&com $ 'rea!ing %e(s"
#etrieved +ctober (?, &A(1, $rom http2IIwww"cnn"comI&A(1I(AI(3IlivingIyoungKadultK
$ictionKevolutionIindex"html
6The ;unger <ames= 5n"d"a9 Memphis Library Catalog" #etrieved ( +ct" &A(1"
http2IImpub"ent"sirsi"netIclientIde$aultIsearchIdetailnonmodalIent2
QAA&$QAA&$S.R/LSQAA&$CG?QAA&$S.R/LS2CG?FC&IadaD%uOhungerNgames
6The ;unger <ames= 5n"d"b9" orldCat&org" #etrieved ( +ct" &A(1
http2IIwww"worldcat"orgItitleIhungerK
gamesIoclcI(G(3(CC??7re$ererObrie$Rresultshttp2IIwww"worldcat"orgItitleIhungerK
gamesIoclcI(G(3(CC??7re$ererObrie$Rresults
Witch 7 Wi8ard2 The <raphic 0ovel by James )atterson and 0ed #ust E illustrations Svetlana
-hmakova"" 5n"d"9" Memphis Library Catalog" #etrieved +ctober (?, &A(1, $rom
http2IImpub"ent"sirsi"netIclientIde$aultIsearchIdetailnonmodalIent2
QAA&$QAA&$S.R/LSQAA&$G&1QAA&$S.R/LS2G&1C'&IadaD%uOwitchNandNwi8ard