Developing Our Collections - Overarching Collecting Practices
Selection
Selection is managed by our staff for material housed in the State Library and by public library staff for material in Western Australian public libraries.
Processes for identifying material for acquisition include
- supplier selection - including approval or blanket plan and alerts
- staff selection from selection support tools
- deposits under legislation, legal agreements, memorandum of understanding or government regulations
- donations
- recommendations
Continuous improvement in these processes is made through the use of new technologies.
Criteria for selection
The following criteria are used by our staff in evaluating material for the collection. Particular criteria may assume a greater or lesser importance depending on the type of material being assessed, purpose of the collection, resources available and the subject matter. They may need to be balanced against other criteria in making a decision.
- Relevance of content
- Depth of collection
- Quality of material
- Cost
- License terms
- Format
- Access
- Overlap with existing resources
Identifying new resources for inclusion in collections is sometimes proactive and at other times a reactive process, however we aim to take a predominantly proactive approach.
Donations
Donations of material are accepted into the collections using the above selection criteria. We determine the most appropriate location, format and timeframe for the addition of accepted donated material into the collection.
We encourage donations in the form of published or original material relating to Western Australians and Western Australia. We are a recipient institution for the Cultural Gifts Program so donors of culturally significant material may be eligible for tax incentives under this scheme.
We encourage the use of Creative Commons licensing for digital donations.
Donations through exchange programs with other libraries outside the Western Australian public library system are not a preferred way of developing collections.
Collection Analysis
Collection analysis and client feedback are key factors in ensuring collecting is fulfilling its purpose. We use these as the basis for collection building.
Budget
The State Government funded acquisitions budget is managed by the Manager Collection Development and follows the financial year cycle in line with State Government practice.
This budget has two main components:
- funding for the purchase of resources provided from public libraries; and
- funding for the purchase of resources provided from the State Library.
The priority for State Library acquisitions budget allocation is predominantly for collecting Western Australian documentary resources.
The priority for budget allocation for state collections through the Western Australian public library network is determined under the partnership agreement between the Library Board and Western Australian public libraries.
We may seek other sources to fund the acquisition and preservation of collection resources, particularly where it has major heritage significance for Western Australians.
Resources for public libraries in the Indian Ocean Territories are funded by the Federal government as part of a service delivery agreement with the State Library.
Page last updated: Tuesday 23 November 2010
