Building and Managing a Reference Collection

                

Building a reference collection is a task every library must face. No two reference collections are alike, as the needs of the community will dictate the type of reference needed. For instance, a medical library's reference sections will vary from the reference section for a law library, and public libraries (probably the most varies of all reference collections) will differ from both law and medical library reference collections. They key to building a usable collection is knowing your community.

With knowing your community, you will be unable to crate a reference collection that is relevant to their interests. Also, when you are involved and knowledgeable about your community, you are able to keep up with all changes in interest, and know how to weed your collection to make room for more relevant materials to the current needs of that community.

Relevant readings:

• Farmer, L. S. J. (2009). The Life Cycle of Digital Reference Sources.  Reference Librarian, 50(2), 117-136.
• Singer, Carol A. “Weeding Gone Wild: Planning and Implementing a Review of the Reference Collection.”  Reference & User Services Quarterly 47.3 (2008): 256-264.