In this module, you will review the community your library serves and for which you develop the depository collection, your library’s collection of Federal depository and supporting resources, and the policy or policies (or practices if you do not have a written policy) that your library uses to build a collection of U.S. Government publications in all media.

How your library chooses to address the questions within this module is a local determination. There may be several different, but perfectly acceptable, answers to the same question. Guidance for evaluating your own responses is highlighted within various sections and also at the end of the module. The questions address situations at many libraries; however, there may be additional or unique collection development situations at your library that you are encouraged to consider in your overall review of the topics covered in the module.

When considering the community your library serves, please consider that most depositories are designated to serve a particular U.S. Congressional District. Yet, the number of depositories currently in a District, the types of libraries in the area, and also the existence of established resource sharing arrangements may dictate a local public service area other than the U.S. Congressional District in which the library is currently located. These local service areas, if different from the Congressional District, should be negotiated among neighboring depositories to ensure all areas of the District are served.

Please keep in mind that providing no-fee public access to U.S. Government information is the guiding principle under which public officials designate depository libraries; therefore, the U.S. Government information needs of the general public must influence the collection development of depository libraries. The depository collection should provide resources that meet the U.S. Government information needs of both your primary and general public, or non-primary, users. The scope of the collection should have sufficient depth to accommodate reference and research services for your library’s primary users but also broad enough to meet the general needs of all library users in the community.

Before you start this module, you are encouraged to review the resource lists and gather and review your library’s collection development resources.

Self-Study Module 2: Collection Development

Working with the Module Part in PDF

For technical information on how to work with the PDF portion of the module, please consult the information found in the Introduction to the Self-Study.