Let's Make Sure We Are Not Part of the Problem: A Librarian's Lament

As a collection development librarian at a mid‐size academic library, I work with university faculty to build the various collections. Librarians and university teaching faculty often have different views about collection development, and sometimes an uneasy truce exists between the two groups. In a small to mid‐size academic library without a large staff of subject specialists, collection development is one of the many responsibilities of faculty. One collection development librarian cannot do it all, and no one on campus is more qualified than a faculty members to assist the librarian in collection building. Librarians must not find themselves caught between the bureaucratic rules and regulations of the library on the one hand, and the faculty member's desire for resources that the or she wishes on the other hand. These two parties must work together to form a supportive and productive partnerships in library collection development.