Managing the Reference Collection

The three charts in this book caught my attention. The first is a decision tree for selecting reference sources. Nine decision points are itemized with action to take depending on whether the answer to the prompt is “yes” or “no”. Decisions needed include “Does the item meet library collection development criteria?”, “Is it in a reference format?” and “Is theft or mutilation a major concern?” If the answer to the latter is “yes”, then the item is to be added to the reserves or closed ready reference collection. The second chart is a selection checklist for electronic resources. This list...