Selection is the process of determining what materials are to be acquired. It is essential to libraries and information centers as it keeps their collections relevant to their patrons. Selection also helps libraries expand into new forms of media.
The first step in the selection process is determining what the weaknesses of the collection are and what is needed to strengthen these. Weaknesses can take the form of damaged items or gaps in the collection. The gaps in the collection can usually be found by checking the collection development policy against the current library inventory or by asking library patrons what they would like to see in the collection.
The next step in the Selection Process is determining how much of the budget is to be spent. The main decision to be made is how much of the budget is allocated to different types and different subjects of library material. One issue that selectors must deal with here is that prices for library materials have been rises, while library budgets have stayed comparatively the same.
After determining what the budget is for each type of material and each subject comes the search for useful materials. This is the "heart of the selection process," as it is where the actual selecting occurs. This step is often the most difficult, as criteria for selection is different for every type of library material, as well as for different genres of library material. Generally selection must take into account the item's subject matter, content, construction quality, potential value, themes, relation to current collection, accuracy, reputation of author, and cost. However, whether a prospective material passes these criteria must be determined through secondary sources. It is impossible for selectors to personally inspect all prospective materials, thus they turn to trusted sources of information such as bibliographic databases, review sources, recommended lists, subject bibliographies, and bestseller lists.
Difficulties that arise with this step of the selection process mostly have to do with the act of selection itself. These include:
- choosing between several titles or options
- having to manage your personal bias
- balancing what people want right now versus what is good for the collection in the long term
However, the largest issue that must be dealt with during the selection process is that quality is subjective. A work of little literary value can still hold meaning to someone, or can serve as a gateway into other works. Keeping this in mind is especially important in public libraries that serve people from all walks of life.
Finally, after the selection proper has been conducted, comes the search for sources of the selected materials. This step is completed in the acquisitions stage of collection development.
De-selection is the opposite process to selection. Finding materials that are too damaged, or finding materials that are irrelevant to the collection and removing them from the collection proper, usually in order to make space for the new collection items chosen via selection.
De-selection begins with the search for irrelevant materials. This is done by consulting the collection development policy, by ascertaining the value of materials to the library patrons, and simply by checking the library for damaged items. The chosen items are then donated, stored in an off-site storage facility, traded to other libraries or disposed of if they are too damaged.
In Philippine libraries the selection process must be done in for works in at least two langauges, English and Filipino. Works in different languages such as Bisaya, Cebuano and Illocano can also be added to the collection. Consideration must also be given to historical viewpoints that are represented in the collection. Literature from the Spanish and American colonial periods is either from a foreign perspective or a national perspective, and it is useful to have both represented in the collection.
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