Collection Development and Information Resources
Collection Development and Information Resources tests selection, acquisition, organization, maintenance, and evaluation of print and digital resources. Questions cover board-approved selection policy, review sources, diversity and curricular alignment, weeding, licensing, copyright, and the reconsideration process. The exam expects defensible, policy-based decisions rather than personal preference.
Selection policy and criteria
- A board-approved selection policy is the legal and procedural foundation; it should state criteria, responsibility, and reconsideration steps.
- Apply criteria consistently: accuracy, authority, currency, readability, curricular fit, diversity of perspectives, cost, format, and licensing.
- Use professional review sources and previews; document rationale for purchases, gifts, and challenged titles.
- Balance formats: databases, ebooks, audiobooks, OER, and print; check simultaneous-use and privacy terms.
Maintenance and challenges
- Weed systematically with CREW/MUSTIE criteria (currency, relevance, condition, duplicates); a weeded collection is more credible and accessible.
- Collection mapping and diversity audits reveal gaps and overrepresentation.
- The ALA Library Bill of Rights and district policy guide responses to challenges.
Worked example
A parent challenges a novel. The specialist should acknowledge the concern, explain the selection policy, provide the reconsideration form, and keep the item available during review unless policy states otherwise. A committee reviews the whole work against criteria, not isolated passages, and documents a decision. The reasoning: due process protects intellectual freedom and the school; removing the book immediately would undermine policy.
Traps that cost marks
- Removing a challenged item before review.
- Using only personal taste or "I liked it" as rationale.
- Ignoring license terms for ebooks and databases.
- Keeping outdated or inaccurate materials "just in case."
- Failing to document selection and weeding decisions.