Collection

Development Policy
Plan
The Black Cultural Center Library

Created by Stephen Lane

smlane@iupui.edu
S502

Table of Contents
I.

Summary ............................................................... 2
History and Organization
Public We Serve
Mission
Materials and Gifts

II.

Intellectual Freedom ............................................. 3

Resources to Intellectual Freedom
Challenging Materials in Our Collection
Challenge Form
Example of Completed Challenge Form

III. Selection..10
Overview
Selection Criteria
Deselection Criteria
Policies for:
1.
2.
3.

Retrospective Acquisitions
Varying formats
Gifts

Tools description
a Bibliographies
b Standard lists
c Review Sources
d Websites
e Organizations
Subject area resources

IV. Evaluation21
Resource sharing

First interview
Second interview

Maintenance

Summary
This document serves as a guide for the Black Cultural Center Library staff and patrons.

History and Organization

The Black Cultural Center Library of Metropolis, Indiana has been in existence since 1995. The Library was
created to supplement and enhance the activities that were taking place in the The Black Cultural Center. The library
started as one bookshelf filled with books in the recreation hall of the center to the two room expansion it now has
today. The library is privately funded through grants and donations obtained by the Black Cultural Center Foundation.
The Black Cultural Center Library is governed by an appointed library board from the Black Cultural Center Board of
Directors.
The Black Cultural Center Library stands to serve the needs of the Metropolis community in terms of
providing access to relevant and up-to-date materials on Black culture, history and fiction. We provide information on
local Black history as well as highlight local Black authors and musicians. We also serve those who are researching their
ancestry.
The Black Cultural Center Library staff hierarchy is as follows: Director of the Library, two supervising
librarians who are in charge of five paraprofessional employees.

Public We Serve
We serve the members of the Black Cultural Center and surrounding community. Only members of the Black
Cultural Center can borrow materials in the collection both digital and book formats. However, anyone from the
community may access the collection of the Black Cultural Center Library during operating hours. Borrowing patrons
will be subject to return library material in a timely manner or be fined for each day the material is late.
To become a member of the Black Cultural Center, one has to sign up for an annual membership. The
membership fee is based on a sliding scale determined by the members income. The future member only need to bring
in a pay stub and identification to sign up as a member.
The Black Cultural Center is situated on the near west side of Metropolis in a neighborhood known as
Heartsville. This neighborhood is over 95% African American, 4% Latino and 1% Caucasian. 99% of the Black Cultural
Centers members are African American and 1% are Caucasian. Our mission is to do more outreach to the Spanish-

speaking members of our community. We do offer a growing amount in our collection geared toward Spanish-speaking
clientele. 60% of our members are between the ages of 18 and 35. 20% of our members are between the ages of 35+
and the remaining 20% of our members are between the ages of 0 to 17.

Mission
The mission of the Black Cultural Center Library is to provide a comprehensive collection to support the Black
Cultural Center by collecting nonfiction and fiction, books and film, as it pertains to the Black American experience. We
also provide resources to clientele who are interested in researching their family history. The collection will enhance and
assist programs of the Black Cultural Center.

Materials and Gifts

The collection is based on relevant information about African Americans, with specific materials given
preference to local authors. The collection will also include materials from the African diaspora and topics on Pan
Africanism. The collection will be monitored and materials that do not circulate at least once in five years will be up for
consideration to be weeded out of the collection by the lead librarian. Materials will be gathered in terms of the budget
of the library. Preference and priority will be given towards nonfiction materials relating to the Black American
experience and Black American history.
Donations and gifts are welcomed for consideration into the Black Cultural Center Library collection. The
donations and gifts must meet the standard for consideration. For example, the materials must be complete and not have
torn or missing pages. The materials must be in good standing to be accepted into the collection. Our definition of good
standing means the materials may not have any torn or ripped pages, missing pages or pages falling out of the book.
The lead librarian will add film and digital materials to meet the needs of the Black Cultural Center that can be
borrowed online with the patrons membership to the Black Cultural Center. A membership will also allow patrons to
access Ancestry.com to research family histories.

Intellectual Freedom
The Black Cultural Center Library is dedicated to respecting the rights and privacy of all our patrons. Our
commitment to access to information is so crucial to why we exist, providing some of the most valuable information to
our patrons which was at one time denied for African Americans to even read or seek out a quality education. Our

collection is developed for a diverse public within the African American community. The Black Cultural Center Library
provides a well-rounded collection to meet the needs of the public we serve. We respect the privacy of our patrons by
not divulging information on which materials a patron has borrowed from our collection. We respect the right of the
patron to request materials that they feel they should be included in our collection. Our goal is to provide access and
maintain a community of lifelong learners. Our dedication to intellectual freedom is in line with the American Library
Associations guidelines to access of information.

Resources to Intellectual Freedom

"The Freedom to Read Statement." The Freedom to Read Statement. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/statementspols/freedomreadstatement>.

"Intellectual Freedom Manual." Intellectual Freedom Manual. Web. 27 Feb. 2016.

<http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/iftoolkits/ifmanual/intellectual>.

"Diversity in Collection Development:." Diversity in Collection Development:. Web. 27 Feb.

2016.
<http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/diversitycollection>.

Challenging Materials in Our Collection

It is our mission to provide the best possible materials to members of the Black Cultural Center.
With that said, we do rely on input of our patrons to create a well-rounded collection. Patrons can challenge
materials in our collection they deem inappropriate at any point. The patron must fill out the challenge form
and turn it in to the Library for any consideration of removing the material from the collection.
The challenge form can be obtained at the reference desk in the Black Cultural Center Library or on
our website. Once a challenge form is received, please allow the Black Cultural Center Library up to two
weeks to formulate our decision on the material in question. We will send out a letter to the email address
given on the challenge form unless the patron would like to have a formal meeting to go over our decision.
The Black Cultural Center Library reserves the right to have the final say in the decision to keep or remove a
title from our collection

Challenge Form

Challenge Form

The Black Cultural Center Library is dedicated to intellectual freedom and providing access to a
well rounded collection with many viewpoints available. However, we want our patrons to feel apart of
the process to challenge materials they may deem inappropriate to our collection. Please fill out the
form and return it to the Black Cultural Center Library at your convenience. Any consideration to remove
a title from our collection requires this form to be completed and submitted.

Todays Date:____________

Contaction Information

Name: ___________________________________________

contact number:____________

Email address:_________________________________________________________________________



Material Being Challenged

Title of the material in question:___________________________________________________________


Author of material in question:____________________________________________________________


Have you read/seen the material in its entirety? Please circle yes or no: yes no


Why do you think this title should be removed from the collection? Please describe below in detail:









Have you read the Black Cultural Center Librarys Collection Development Policy Plan? Please circle yes
or no:

Yes No

Example of Completed Challenge Form

Challenge Form

The Black Cultural Center Library is dedicated to intellectual freedom and providing access to a
well rounded collection with many viewpoints available. However, we want our patrons to feel apart of
the process to challenge materials they may deem inappropriate to our collection. Please fill out the
form and return it to the Black Cultural Center Library at your convenience. Any consideration to remove
a title from our collection requires this form to be completed and submitted.

Todays Date:____________

Contaction Information

(555)555-5555
Name: ___________________________________________

contact number:____________

john.doe@email.com
Email address:_________________________________________________________________________



Material Being Challenged

The Color Purple
Title of the material in question:___________________________________________________________


Alice Walker
Author of material in question:____________________________________________________________


Have you read/seen the material in its entirety? Please circle yes or no: yes no


Why do you think this title should be removed from the collection? Please describe below in detail:

I do not like the books view on sex and sexuality. I find it offensive and this title should not be
included in a collection where children could come in and potentially view this book.

2/28/16

John Doe

I worry for the safety of children and being exposed to adult themes at such a young age.





Have you read the Black Cultural Center Librarys Collection Development Policy Plan? Please circle yes
or no:

Yes No

III. Selection
3.1 Overview
The Black Cultural Center Library is dedicated to providing the most up-to-date and relevant
materials available to the community. Selection as defined by the Online Dictionary for Library and
Information Science (ODLIS) is the set process of how we decide what to include in our collection. We must
consider many factors while selecting materials for our library to ensure that the material follows the mission
of the Black Cultural Center. The scope of our selection utilizes the Dewey Decimal Classification maintained
and updated by the Online Computer Library Center, Inc (OCLC) for our nonfiction collection. The Dewey
Decimal Classification organizes our collection using the codes 000 through 999. Although, the Black
Cultural Center Library focuses in providing materials on African American history and genealogy, the
collection does have materials that fall outside of these classifications or overlap with other sections of our
collection. Biographies have a separate classification by the persons last name and first name. Biographies on
Barak Obama would be classified as Obama, Barak. Our fiction items are organized into genre and the first
three letters of the authors last name. For example, if a patron were searching for Devil in a Blue Dress by
Walter Mosley, the call number for this title is MYS Mos.
Our experienced supervisor librarian, Nichele Haines, is responsible for selection. Nichele received
her dual Masters in Library and Information Sciences and History from Catholic University in Washington,
D.C. Her expertise in many subject areas including African American history, U.S. history and world history
which often overlap each other. Nichele has had five years experience managing the collection of the
Monroe County Public Library which makes her the perfect candidate to make sure we are offering the best
possible materials for our patrons.
Contact Nichele Haines at 317-555-5555 or by email at Nichele@bccl.org

3.2 Selection Criteria

Our current strength in the collection is in the subject area of Civil Rights. In 2015, the Black
Cultural Central Library had 25,000 books circulating in this subject area alone making it the most popular
topic. Our desired area to work on is the inclusion of more magazines in the collection to provide more upto-date articles through annual magazine subscriptions. We currently offer Ebony and Essence Magazines,
but our goal is to expand into other areas such as Tenth Magazine which focuses on an LGBT perspective in
the Black community which would contribute to the value of our overall collection.
The Black Cultural Center Librarys selection criteria focuses on the principles that were developed
by Richard Gardner in 1981 which have been adapted to fit the needs of our selection process.

Relevance How is the material important to the Black community?

Interest Would our community read this material? We do not want to offer material that
only sits on the shelf. We need to make sure that our patrons would want to read the
materials added to the collection.

Recent data We want to make sure that our materials offer up-to-date information and
data on our community. For example, we do not want materials on our shelves that offers
US Census data from 1970s when our population has grown and categories have since been
added to the US Census such as same-sex and multi-racial households.

Unbiased Our plan is to offer a collection that reports the facts as gathered through
scientific research. We must take great care not to include materials wrought with bias and
stereotypes.

Access We want to make sure we are meeting the wants and needs of our patrons to access
the information of interest.

Appropriate We want to ensure that our collection provide the necessary information on
topics to meet the mission of the library.

Cost Will our budget allow to purchase a certain material? Can the material be borrowed
or found at another local library? We must consider the confines of our budget when
selecting materials.

3.3 Deselection Criteria

The deselection process or weeding is just as important as selection. We must constantly review and
evaluate our collection to certify that our information is up-to-date and relevant. As a gardener would go
through her garden to pull all of the weeds, we must review our collection to pull books that have out of date
information or are in bad shape to keep in the collection. We must examine the relevance of certain items in
the collection.
The Black Cultural Center Library uses a mix of quantitative and qualitative resources to determine
selection. Our deselection involves reviewing usage statistics to verify the material is circulating. We view how
many times in the past five years that an item has been checked out by the public. If the material has
circulated in the past five years, then we will review the material to make sure that it is still of interest to have
in our collection. An item in the collection could mean that we need a new copy of the material because pages
may be torn or missing which discourages a patron from checking the material out. We may just need to
order a new copy.
The library reviews the context of the material. Maybe the focus of our library has changed since we
last purchased the book so it may need to be removed from the collection to make room for new materials or
materials that fit the evolving scope of the Black Cultural Center Library.
We weed our collection on a quarterly basis (4 times) annually. This process safeguards our collection
is making room for fresh materials or wanted materials in our collection. The materials that are weeded out of
the collection are sold to the public in the Black Culture Center at a reduced rate. This money goes into the
selection budget to purchase new materials.

3.4 Policies for:

1.

Retrospective Acquisitions
There are times when a book will need to be added to our collection even though the
material was published years and sometimes decades before it is purchased. Our library is
always evolving and sometimes that means updating our collection with materials that may
be seen as older to fit the changing scope of the library. More recently, our community has
experienced an influx of Spanish speaking patrons. Our library has gone back to purchase
materials in Spanish to include in the collection.
We will evaluate any materials that may have been in print for quite some time and will
review if the material will fill any gaps in our collection. We must consider these materials for
historical importance to our community.

2. Varying formats
To meet the changing needs of our patrons, the Black Cultural Center Library now offers
various formats. We currently offer Print, Audio, Video, Periodicals, Documents,
eResources and eBooks. We evaluate these formats based on their contribution to African
American culture or the African Diaspora. We will evaluate the formats to include a diverse
range in formats to our patrons. We must consider the cost of the material in a certain
format. Currently, there is more demand for eBooks. The library must continue to evaluate
the circulation of eBook titles on an annual basis to justify the cost of said format. Our
circulation in eBook format has increased 15% in 2015 over 2014.

3. Gifts
Gifts and donations are accepted into our collection. The gift must be in good condition.
What this means is that there cannot be wear on the covers or binding of the material. It
cannot have missing, ripped or worn pages. The book will not be accepted into the

collection if it is moldy or water damaged. The gift must also be relevant to the mission of
the Black Culture Center Library (see the Mission statement on page 13).
Gifts that are video are accepted into the collection. The video must be in a digitized format
such as DVD. VHS is no longer an accepted format into the collection.
Journals, photographs and letters are accepted as gifts into the collection. Our goal is to have
them digitized and available online. The physical gift will be held in our special collections
room. Due to our project in digitization and lack of space we will not accept newspapers as
gifts. Our microform offers a great deal of newspapers. If there is a newspaper title that we
do not currently have in our collection, it can be requested for purchase into our microform
collection.
The gift will need to be evaluated by our selector to make sure that it meets the selection
criteria and mission of the library.

3.5 Tools description

The Black Cultural Center Library strives to be as transparent as possible during our selection
process. We utilize a number of tools to guide us in our selection. These resources give us the best possible
way to pick the materials we offer in the librarys collection.
3.5a Bibliographies
Bier, Lisa. American Indian and African American People, Communities, and Interactions : An Annotated Bibliography.
Bibliographies and Indexes in American History,. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2004. Print.
This biblography offers information on historical sources regarding African American people and
communities and how they interacted with American Indian communities. This resource allows us to
find many materials of historical significance to the community. These resources from this source are
geared towards historical research or general interest in history.
Danky, James Philip, and Maureen E. Hady. African-American Newspapers and Periodicals : A National Bibliography.
Harvard University Press Reference Library. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998.
Print.
This bibliography offers a comprehensive list of African American newspapers and periodicals. This
resource assists us in a retrospective selection of newspapers and periodicals to include in our
microform collection.

Hay, Frederick J. African-American Community Studies from North America : A Classified, Annotated Bibliography.
Garland Reference Library of Social Science. New York: Garland, 1991. Print.
This resource provides information on materials related to the African American community. This
resource guides our selection on books containing historical information.
Hill, George H., Lorraine Raglin, and Robert Davenport. African American Television Experience : A Researcher's
Bibliography of Scholarly Writings. Los Angeles: Daystar Pub. Co., 1987. Print.
This resource compiles information on African American television pre-1990. It assists our
retrospective selection process regarding important video recordings as they relate to the Black
experience.
Indiana State Library. Genealogy Collection., and Indiana State Library. African American Sources in the Genealogy
Collection. Rev. 7/08 ed. Indianapolis, IN: Genealogy Collection, Indiana State Library, 2008. Print.
The Indiana State Library already has an extensive collection on genealogy. This collection compiles
in formation on African American genealogical records which can be accessed from our computer
lab.
Regester, Charlene B., and ebrary Inc. Black Entertainers in African American Newspaper Articles. Volume 2, an
Annotated and Indexed Bibliography of the Pittsburgh Courier and the California Eagle, 1914-1950. 2010. Web
<http://bz6fj9fl8e.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=BZ6FJ9FL8E&S=JCs&C=TC00004625
61&T=marc
http://kg6ek7cq2b.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=KG6EK7CQ2B&S=JCs&C=TC0000462561&T
=marc
http://mn3ku4ar6y.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=MN3KU4AR6Y&S=JCs&C=TC0000462561&T
=marc
http://rx8kl6yf4x.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=RX8KL6YF4X&S=JCs&C=TC0000462561&T=
marc
http://te6uz4hk6z.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&L=TE6UZ4HK6Z&S=JCs&C=TC0000462561&T
=marc>.
This comprehensive bibliography provides information on Black entertainers in the early to mid-20th
century. This resource guides our microform collection for historical research.
Thomas, Veronica G., Kisha Braithwaite, and Paula Mitchell. African American Women : An Annotated
Bibliography. Bibliographies and Indexes in Afro-American and African Studies,. Westport, Conn.:
Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.
This bibliography contains information on African American women of historical importance. This
bibliography offers our collection a diversity of the Black experience for our biography section.
Walters, Ronald W., and Cedric Johnson. Bibliography of African American Leadership : An Annotated Guide.
Bibliographies and Indexes in Afro-American and African Studies. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood
Press, 2000. Print.

This resource offers important information on African American leaders to guide our selection for
historical materials and biographies.

3.5b Standard lists

100 Essential Black Books

http://aalbc.com/books/sacredfire.php
This is a comprehensive list on African American literature. We utilize this list to review
titles to retrospectively purchase materials for our fiction collection.

Independent Black Owned Magazines

http://aalbc.com/magazines/
This is a list of Black owned magazines for consideration to include in our expanding
magazine collection. We can review popular magazines and some obscure magazines that
may be of interest to our diverse community.

The 20 bestselling Fiction Books for 2015 - African American Literary Book Club

http://aalbc.com/books/bestsellers-by-year.php?year=2015
This is an annual list highlighting the bestselling fiction books by African American authors.
We can use this to guide our purchases on current titles to include in our fiction collection.

The 13 Bestselling Nonfiction Books for 2015 African American Literary Book Club

http://aalbc.com/books/bestsellers-by-year.php?year=2015&genre=Nonfiction

This is an annual booklist highlighting bestsellers in nonfiction by African American authors.

This list allows us to review current popular titles to include in our nonfiction collection.

Standards in Acquisitions

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/explanatory/acquisitions
This is a list provided by the American Library Association on standards to consider during
the acquisitions process while considering material for our collection.

3.5c Review Sources

Blacktrospective 2014 Annual Assessment of the Best in Black Cinema

http://aalbc.com/reviews/blacktrospective-2014.html
This list offers up information on the most popular titles in Black cinema. It guides us in
making selections in current African American-made or significant movies to include in our
collection.

QBR: The Black Book Review

http://www.qbr.com/
This list offers many reviews on many Black titles. We consider this site to be an authority
on the subject on African American titles. This resource does influence our decision in the
selection process.

The New York Times Book Review

http://www.nytimes.com/books/home/
The New York Times is a site offering reviews on many different print and video materials.
We utilize this site to guide our decisions in selecting popular titles to include in our
collection.

3.5d Websites

African American Authors African American Literary Book Club

http://aalbc.com/authors/authors.php
This offers a long list of African American authors to research them and their published
works.

Black Classic Press

http://www.blackclassicbooks.com/
This is one of our vendors for rare or obscure African American literary titles of interest to
our library users.

Alibris
http://www.alibris.com/?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=TnL5HPStwNw&utm_campaign=1
0&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-OjMTN78UO4j74PF90dheNw
This is another of our vendor sites where we purchase materials. It offers many materials in
many different formats including rare books and text books to be considered for the librarys
collection.

Book Review Index Plus

http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/ps/start.do?p=BRIP&u=iulib_iupui
This website allows our selector to review materials for retrospective purchase within our
collection. The website gives full reviews of materials for consideration to include in the
collection.

California Newsreel
http://www.newsreel.org/

This resource is a vendors site offering educational video materials with many
documentaries on the African American experience.

Filmakers Library Online

https://www.academicvideostore.com/filmakers
This is another vendor site that features educational video formats for purchase to include in
our collection for research and self-guided learning.

3.5e Organizations

African American Literary Book Club

http://aalbc.com/
The African American Literary Book Club has compiled many comprehensive lists of
African American materials including authors, best sellers, film and reviews. This
organization is an invaluable resource to guide the selection process.

African American Studies Librarians

https://afasacrl.wordpress.com/
This organization offers information to guide collection development of African American
Studies. This is another important source of information and guidance for our collection
development

Indiana Black Librarians Network

http://www.geocities.ws/indiana_bln/index-2.html
The Indiana Black Librarians Network has existed since the early 2000s. It aims to serve
Black Librarians in the state of Indiana in ongoing project support and offers guidance on

collection development. Libraries function best as a network that can be called upon to offer
knowledge and resources on many different topics.

3.6 Subject area resources

American Library Association

www.ala.org
The American Library Association stands as one of the most important organizations that
serves libraries nationally. The ALA offers many resources on collection development and
book lists to be utilized during the selection process.

Black Caucus of the American Library Association

http://bcala.org/
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association is a branch of the ALA specifically
serving the Black community. The BCALA has a listserv that is used to consult colleagues
nationally in terms of collection development or special announcements going on in the field
of librarianship. The BCALA supplements many of the resources available on the ALA
website.

Library of Congress

www.loc.gov
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It sets standards for how libraries
operate on a national level. It is an invaluable resource by reviewing their online catalog of

resources. They offer comprehensive book lists on many different subject areas like civil
rights era, slavery, historical documents, etc.

Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library

https://libraries.indiana.edu/NMBCC-Library
The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library is situated in Bloomington, IN. It offers a
plethora of resources on Black history specific to Indiana. The Neal-Marshall Black Culture
Center Library has access to many historical documents that assist our patrons in their
historical and genealogical research.

IV.

Evaluation

The requirements of evaluating our collection are important to maintaining an up-to-date comprehensive collection.
The evaluation process is an ongoing project at the Black Cultural Center Library to meet the needs and demands of our
patrons. The Black Cultural Center Library uses a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the collection.
The quantitative tools used to evaluate the collection are checking circulation statistics, resource sharing statistics, cost
per use of databases and electronic material circulation statistics and downloads. The Qualitative tools used to evaluate
the collection are patron surveys on the collection, request forms and patron observations.
The questions the BCC asks when evaluating the collection are:
1.

Where are the strengths and weaknesses in the current collection?

Our collection is currently strong with circulating materials on civil rights and biographies. The Black Cultural
Center Library knows this by evaluating the circulation statistics of items that are checked out or placed on the shelving
cart each day. Out of 100 books that circulate, approximately 70 books will fall under civil rights or biographies.
Our collection is currently weak in terms of our magazine collection and fiction. The library currently has two
magazine subscriptions to Ebony and Essence magazine. We know that the magazine collection must expand to include
more titles and subject areas. We receive many patron requests for a broader magazine collection. Our fiction collection

also needs to be updated in order to interest patrons. We look at circulation statistics that some fiction titles have not
circulated in over five years.

2.

How much would it cost to replace this material?

The Black Cultural Center Library operates on a budget to maintain and evaluate our collection. We evaluate the
condition of our materials and the cost to replace a worn material. In many cases, it is cheaper to replace the material in
a different format like the electronic format, but many patrons may lose access to the material if it is only available
electronically. We can measure this by patron surveys with the question: Do you have access to a computer or electronic
mobile device with an internet connection in your home? The results became clear that 50% of our patrons do not have
a computer or mobile device in their home. It is important to expand our electronic collection, but also maintain a
comprehensive print material collection.
The Black Cultural Center Library also looks at borrowing the material from another library nearby. This could be
the most cost effective way to meet the needs of our patrons especially if it a title that is not requested often. If a title is
requested often enough by reviewing the circulation statistics, then it will need to be replaced using the money allotted in
the librarys budget.
We analyze how often certain databases and Ancestry.com account is being utilized to factor in the cost per use
statistics. This allows us to justify the renewal or cancellation of a subscription to a database.

3.

How much time can be dedicated to evaluating the collection?

The Black Cultural Center Library has to be organized. The evaluation process is an ongoing process. If we want a
well-rounded collection that meets the needs of our patrons, then we will need to plan ahead the time that is needed to
have a comprehensive collection. We must plan ahead to try and anticipate future trends and replacing worn resources.
The time dedicated to evaluating the collection is limited. The Black Cultural Center Library evaluates the collection
once every quarter. Each material that is returned to the library will be evaluated for wear and tear before it is reshelved.
We include our patrons in the process with a comprehensive survey and material requests forms where patrons can
request materials not found in our collection. The survey asks a variety of questions such as a multiple choice question
asking patrons: How satisfied are you with the collection provided by the Black Cultural Center? With a range of answers

from very satisfied to not satisfied. Following this question is an open-ended question: What materials or subject areas
would you like to see in our collection that is not currently present or expanded in our current collection?

4.1 Resource shaing

The Black Cultural Center Library operates with a limited budget. The library shares resources with other libraries within
50 miles of its present location. This gives us a wider range of materials to include in the collection to make available to
our public. The libraries within distance include public, academic and private libraries. The Neal-Marshall Black Culture
Center Library in Bloomington, IN has a comprehensive collection on Black history and African American biographies.
Our partnership with the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Library further extends our collection with an academic
institution with a larger budget to purchase materials.
Our resource sharing program with the Metropolis Public Library has opened up our collection to more
audio/visual materials to bring to the library and share with our patrons.
Our internship partnership with IUPUI has also brought in interns in library science to assist us with evaluating
and weeding our collection. They can also fill in for some of our staff who may fall ill. They host special programs here
at the library to further our community engagement with our patrons.

First Interview
Resource sharing is a part of libraries today with increasing demands from our communities and further
decreasing budgets, resource sharing allows us to continue to meet those needs. Resource sharing is not unique to the
Black Cultural Center Library. Keith* from the Indianapolis Public Library has invaluable experience with resource
sharing with other libraries. Below is an interview with him conducted by the Black Cultural Center Librarian, Nichelle
Haines.
Nichelle: What is your current title and what do you do?
Keith: I am a Public Services Associate II at the Wayne branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. About 75% of my
work time is spent in children's services.
Nichelle: In what ways does your branch share resources with other libraries and institutions?

Keith: The Wayne branch shares various services and resources with other branches of the Indianapolis Public Library,
especially branches located on the west side of Indianapolis.
For example, the Indianapolis Public Library has substitute workers who fill public service shifts at
the branches. Subs are very helpful in meeting staffing needs by filling in when regular staff are not available due
to vacations, unexpected absences, and training.
Another example, technology, especially higher priced items with irregular use, is shared between
branches. When needed, the branches request technology be sent to them from other branches.
Another example, workers at branches sometimes call other branches, especially after hours when training staff
and managers may not be readily available, in order to get quick assistance with various questions.
Another example, the Indianapolis Public Library has a floating collection, which means that almost
all collection items are not sent 'home' after each circulation. Items almost always remain at the branch where they were
checked in. The end result is that each branch's collection is refreshed on a continuous basis.
*The name of the librarian interviewed has been changed.

Second Interview
However, not everyone agrees with Keith in terms of the benefits of having a floating collection. The Black
Cultural Center Library has a nonfloating collection, meaning that all of the materials loaned to other libraries are then
returned to the Black Cultural Center Library. Sherrie* who works for Central Library with the Indianapolis Public
Library discussed an article that was published April, 2016 in Library Journal where a library in Nashville also has a
floating collection. The problems they are having with their collection in Nashville are the exact same problems we are
experiencing here at Central.
Sherrie says that since Indianapolis Public Librarys entire collection is floating that it is quite possible that
materials that one would think could easily be found at a citys Central Library are not on the shelves. It is embarrassing
that a patron requesting popular titles like Black Stallion or Secret Garden cant find them here. This is one downfall of
resource sharing is the potential that items that are expected to be on hand at a particular library are being held at
another library potentially across town or in another city.
Sherrie continues, The thing is Central is more of a destination where many patrons come here because they
are downtown and may have branches closer to where they live. So patrons come in and check things out at Central, but

turn them in at another branch. The article published in The Library Journal titled To Float or Not To Float, shared a
similar experiences in the article, Noel Rutherford writes, In an urban system with a central downtown and a digital
divide, floating disproportionately relocates popular, high-demand material out of locations whose patrons do not place
holds and never returns this material to the original library for browsing.
As the interview continued Sherrie received an email from a collection manager. The collection manager
responded to the article in her email by stating that the article was interesting but she is still a proponent of having a
floating collection and that they are actively working on a plan for Central Library to house all of the popular titles.
Sherrie concludes, We will see if they ever get this setback with resource sharing sorted out.
Resource sharing has many benefits to expanding the collection and reach of our library and many libraries
throughout Indiana, but we know that it is not a perfect system and does come with its limitations. However, resource
sharing is tantamount to the survival of the Black Cultural Center Library.
*The name of the librarian interviewed has been changed.
Reference:
Rutherford, Noel. "To Float or Not To Float | Collection Management." Library Journal. 15 Apr.
2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

4.2 Maintenance: Procedures and Guidelines

Maintenance is a part of keeping our collection for as long as possible. The Black Cultural Center Library is
dedicated to preserving our materials for as long as they are being used. Things come about where materials wear out
and must be replaced. During the purchasing process, we mainly purchase hardback books because they tend to keep
longer than paperback books. This is one of our cost effective measures to get the maximum amount of use and return
on investment from our print materials. The library does purchase paperback books with a generic barcode. These
materials are usually best sellers or highly anticipated recent release books. This way more copies can be purchased and
borrowed by our patrons at the same time.
Products are purchased and processed by being entered into our database which can be accessed online
through our catalogue. These materials in the collection will be given a barcode number to track its use by our patrons.
Each material will receive a call number so that it can be located within our library collection.

When materials are checked back into the library, they will be evaluated by the librarian for worn, missing or torn pages.
The librarian will also check for highlighted parts or pen markings. If it is a CD or DVD, the librarian will check for
scratches or chipped discs. The Librarian will need to verify the title of the DVD matches that listed on the case. The
material will be reshelved if it is in good condition or placed on a discard pile for later evaluation by the collection
committee. Some books can be salvaged and may just need a new cover. We send materials to the National Library
Bindery Co. of Indiana biannually to rebind the books.
Materials that have not circulated within five years will be taken off of the shelves to be evaluated by a library
committee. It could be that the material is worn which is why patrons are not borrowing the material and it needs to be
replaced with a new copy or it could be out dated information and needs to be discarded from the collection entirely.
In terms of preserving rare materials, there is a national push for more digital preservation. Our rare or special
collection materials are digitized. Patrons can request a print out of these materials or access the materials online. The
original material will be donated to be housed in the Indiana State Library or Neal-Marshal Black Cultural Center
Librarys Special Collections room.