A library collection can be summarized as: 1. A collection is an aggregation of physical and/or electronic items gathered together to serve a specific purpose or audience. 2. A collection is considered a single organic entity that is constantly growing and changing to meet the needs of its users. 3. Collections exist to fulfill an institutional mission, such as providing resources to support learning, research, or recreation for a particular community.

1. LIB 610 Collection Management Summer 2010 Defining the concept: What is a library collection?

3. Another definition collection 1: the act or process of collecting 2 a: something collected; especially : an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby b: group, aggregate c: a set of apparel designed for sale usually in a particular season

4. Slides from Presentation: Collection Level Description [ Powerpoint] [HTML] for Workshop at 8th International Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Workshop (DC-8) Ottawa, Canada, October 4 - 6, 2000

6. CLD Online Tutorial June 3, 2008 5

7. More from the same site What Is A Collection? A collection is a group of resources that are related to each other in some identifiable way. The relationship might be through a topic, a place, a person, an organisation or a type of object. About This Document This briefing document provides a brief introduction to the concept of Collections. June 3, 2008 What is a Collection?

11. ShiyaliRamamritaRanganathan(1892-1972) 9

13. School Library Collectionshttp://eduscapes.com/sms/access/cd1.html

14. ©2004-2007 Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson. 10

16. It may have “research potential”

17. It is “a group of resources that are related to each other in some identifiable way”

18. It is “total accumulation of books and other materials owned by a library”

19. It is a “growing organism”

20. It is a “set of resources brought together for a particular audience or to serve a specific function.” 11

22. British Library Catalogues and collections

23. “As school media specialists, we need to begin to adopt the ‘stone soup’ approach to collection development and interlibrary loan. Our building collections should not only be regarded as a single entity, but also as a unique part of a larger regional or state collection.”

24. Doug Johnson, A Stone Soup Mentality – November 1998 http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/stone-soup-mentality.html12

26. West Ashley High School Media Center June 3, 2008 13