The collections are a core part of the school library. Developing great collections which support the learning needs and leisure reading interests of the school’s population is an important part of the librarian’s role.

Contents

Resources to support collection development
A balanced collection
Your collection in the wider information landscape

Resources to support collection development

Here’s a summary of the range of resources we’ve designed to provide you with support, as your develop your school library collection.

The collection development cycle appears here, along with guides for each step of the process: Developing your library – Tools and guides

“Having a wide range of high-quality information resources available … enables students to develop information skills, fosters their critical thinking skills, and extends their interests and their knowledge of the world and its cultures.” p.37 The School Library & learning in the Information landscape: Guidelines for New Zealand Schools

Through a planned collection development process, your school library collection provides a balanced, targeted and relevant range of resources to meet the curriculum, reading and information needs of your school community.

Planned collection development is cyclic and starts with gathering background information:

• school community profile form
• current teaching topics within the school
• assessment of the library collection
• student reading interests

When this information has been collected it forms the basis of a targeted Collection requirements plan and budget which your library team can use to create a collection that will support the specific needs of your school community.

A balanced collection

A balanced collection recognises that there are many formats (print and online) available that convey information and which students read/view for enjoyment. A balanced collection contains access to the following formats:

• Books (fiction, including picture books, sophisticated picture books, easy reads, chapter books and non-fiction including Reference material)
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Graphic novels (both fiction and non-fiction)
• Comics
• Talking books
• CDs and DVDs
• eBooks
• Databases (for example, EPIC databases such as Encyclopedia Britannica Online)
• Websites
• Games

The balanced collection also includes “resources suitable for students’ independent use at all levels, catering for a variety of students’ needs and learning styles. It also includes resources in languages other than English. As well as Māori-language materials, New Zealand school libraries provide resources in other languages to support school languages programmes and programmes for NESB students (students from non-English-speaking backgrounds) and contributes to meeting the library users’ cultural needs and interests. At secondary level, the school library’s resource collections are also developed to reflect an increasing range of specialist options for students, including vocational and distance learning courses.” p.37 The School Library & learning in the Information landscape: Guidelines for New Zealand Schools

Your collection in the wider information landscape

In its role as a provider of information resources, the school library does not stand alone. Its information resources are selected in the context of other resource collections in the school and are supplemented by information and resources from the National Library Curriculum Service (CS), the local community library, and the wider community.

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