Lending Collection Development Guideline

1. Purpose

This Guideline supports the Collection Development Policy. It describes the depth and focus of individual collection areas that make up the state-wide Lending Collection. It also provides a framework to support the ongoing development and management of the Lending Collection across Tasmania’s Public Library Network.

2. Guideline

Libraries Tasmania aims to present a popular, current, and attractive lending collection comprised of non‑fiction, fiction, and non-book materials suitable for all clients age and interest levels, with a strong commitment to Tasmanian publications and a preference for Australian coverage. 

The Lending Collection provides:

Larger libraries, with wider population catchments and greater floor-space, are required to house a broad range of collection areas and material consisting of both popular works and those items which provide depth to the lending collection – more literary fiction and “books for curious minds”. These items by default may not circulate frequently.

Smaller libraries, which serve smaller communities and have minimal floor-space, focus on materials with high popular appeal. Items which do not circulate frequently are transferred to a larger library or to a stack collection.  

The Lending Collection is supplemented by stack collections which contain titles of proven interest. Some examples of material included in the stack collections are excess popular fiction titles, Tasmanian items, and fiction and non-fiction classics.

The majority of the Lending Collection is a floating collection where the movement of items is facilitated by:

This enables the ability to manage and curate lending collection areas on a state-wide basis, offering a wider range of titles than would be able to be offered if items were only purchased for individual libraries.

3. Selections

Selection decisions for the Lending Collection are informed by:

4. Formats

Published material comes in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and formats, many of which are designed to be eye-catching in a commercial bookshop setting. Not all published material is suited for the public library environment as not all material published is robust enough to last multiple loans. This must be taken into consideration as part of the selection process. Unsuitable formats may include items which are very large, very small, irregular in shape, flimsy, fragile, stapled or ring bound, contain ‘product samples’ such as craft supplies or cosmetics, or are designed for a single user to fill in questions or complete puzzles.

Books, audiobooks, magazines, films, and music and virtually all content previously purchased by libraries in physical formats are now often available in digital form. Libraries Tasmania will consider acquiring digital or electronic versions of any item purchased in a physical format, using standard selection criteria, where a digital version is available and where the budget allows. 

Large print format books provide access to reading for many visually impaired or elderly clients for example. Libraries Tasmania acquires a wide range of titles in different genres and subject areas for the general lending collection area and Home Library Service.  We do not acquire Braille or DAISY format books, leaving this to specialist vision support services.

All non-book formats are purchased on a ‘basic compatibility’ model, for example Libraries Tasmania currently purchases DVD but not Blu-ray, PS4 but not PS5.  Obsolete formats are deselected from the collections once supply is unavailable and demand has ended, for example we no longer hold cassettes, VHS or CDROMs in our lending collection areas.

5.1 Non-fiction collection

The non-fiction collections have a broad popular base that is supplemented with a range of ‘books for curious minds’ designed to satisfy more specialised interests.  Popular non-fiction materials target the interests and concerns of the general market.  Small collections of plays, musical scores, and car service manuals complement these collections.

While our collections contain many titles that can support formal learning, they do not aim to include technical, academic, or professional works or textbooks, unless they have an obvious application to the general reader. We prioritise books that are written in plain English and avoid unexplained jargon.

Children’s collections are increasingly targeted towards hobbies and interests rather than homework support.  Where possible, we select works which are well-illustrated and indexed.

Books for curious minds

Books for curious minds are for those who like to learn more, who enjoy discovering new things and reading experts talking with passion. We use the following criteria to identify books for curious minds:

TM Crisp Memorial Sporting Library

The TM Crisp Memorial Sporting Library Fund is a permanent endowment which funds the purchase of sporting books for the lending and reference collections within Libraries Tasmania. The bequest targets pursuits including cricket, tennis, and bridge.

5.2 Fiction collection

The fiction collection comprises of general, genre and literary fiction: 

Fiction books may be purchased as new release titles, as reprints or as new editions depending on demand and reader interest.

5.3 Express book collection

The Express Book Service offers a selection of our most popular books for immediate borrowing with a shorter loan duration and limited number of titles per borrower to ensure maximum availability. The majority of titles are newly published. There are also titles included that have regained renewed interest, such as a title that was published in a previous year but became an award winner the following year.

The purpose of the Express Service is to:

The collection is comprised mostly of adult fiction with a smaller number of adult non-fiction books. Titles include:

5.4 Book group collection

The Book Group Collection supports the delivery of a core library service for Libraries Tasmania’s Book Group members.

This collection includes both fiction and non-fiction titles. It is unique in the fact that there are individual title sets made up of five items. The books are suitable for group discussion and the sharing of ideas in an adult forum. The collection is contemporary and inspiring, diverse, and inclusive. It represents the cultural, generational, and social backgrounds as well as reflecting content that is of popular community interest.

Book Group is provided with a set of ten books each month for their members to read. There are no direct charges for this service which makes it accessible to a wide group of Tasmanians. Books are acquired through annual expenditure from the Library Resource Budget as well as the transfer of appropriate titles from lending collection areas.

The Book Group Collection also:

5.5 Young people’s collection

The Young People’s collection comprises titles generally considered suitable for those aged between 0 and 18 years.  Individual collection areas cater for the progression in reading and comprehension skills from dependent to independent reader including:

The prevalence of IT devices amongst young people and young adult readers is boosting the popularity of eBooks and eAudio among these age groups.

Birth to pre-school

This collection area provides parents and carers with quality reading materials during their children’s formative years of language and reading development. This collection area aims to shape a lifelong love of stories, reading and learning and help to ensure that books and reading feature in Tasmanian households.  This collection includes board books, picture books and baby book packs.

Baby book packs

Each Baby Book Pack contains five books including board books, picture books, simple stories, nursery rhymes and old favourites. They come in bright, colourful, sturdy bags and are available for three age groups:

Junior

The Junior collection supports younger readers’ transition from dependent to independent readers through a broad range of fiction, non-fiction and graphic novel titles. In addition to supporting learning to read and early literacy skills, an Easy Reads collection is also available for loan.

Young adult

The Young Adult collection includes items aimed at readers progressing from junior to adult. The increasing complexity and sophistication of items in this collection increase its appeal to adult clients.  Similarly, young adult clients also choose from the adult collection.

5.6 Community languages

The coverage of the community languages collection (formerly Languages Other Than English – LOTE) reflects the major language groups in Tasmania, as identified by the latest Census data. The focus is on eBook selections with a small collection of printed books. Selections are also made for items with bilingual language content. For example. children’s board books, where there is community demand.

5.7 26Ten Quick reads

The collection comprises of adult fiction books which are suitable for adults with low levels of literacy and supports adults to become independent readers. Titles are available in both print and eBook formats and focus on easy to read layout that includes pictures and photographs; novella fiction; series to encourage ongoing engagement, combined audiobook and print book sets, and new crossover fiction titles.

5.8 Non-book collections

Audio and eAudio books

The collection comprises a range of general, genre and literary fiction together with bestselling and topical non-fiction titles.  All titles considered for addition to the physical book lending collection can be considered for purchase in audiobook (CD format) or eAudio format.  Physical audiobooks are purchased for adult, young adult and junior audience. eAudio books have an increasing audience and are the preferred audio format for most adults and young adults. Unabridged works are preferred, however abridged versions will be considered.

DVDs

The DVD collection caters to the entertainment needs of the community in an audio-visual format. The collection has two main criteria. Criteria one includes feature, independent and classic, award-winning, Australian foreign language and animated films. Criteria two includes general mainstream film releases. The collection also provides access to content made for television and streaming service series, with a particular focus on those based on books. Book holdings are reviewed when films and DVD are purchased.

Console games

This collection provides access to console video game software for junior, young adult, and adult clients. It is a collection focused on popular entertainment. The collection covers a broad range of video game genres such as strategy, role-playing, action, adventure, and sport.  The collection includes games for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. It includes games rated G, PG, M and MA15+. In-demand and award-winning R18+ games are also considered for addition to the collection.

CDs

The aim of the CD collection is to provide a balanced selection of music from a cross-section of genres including popular, jazz, folk and country, as well as a selection of classical musical forms, periods, composers, and performers. 

Magazines

Current magazines are available for borrowing, in physical format and online. There is a broad range of popular subjects tailored to meet the needs and interests of a diverse cross section of the community. Subscriptions are reviewed on an annual basis. 

6. Donations

Libraries Tasmania welcomes selected donations of material for the lending collections. Donations to the lending collection must meet the following criteria:

Tasmanian materials are always welcome and may be utilised within other areas of the library collection.  The Library reserves the right to dispose of any items if they are not needed, at any time and by any means, including the right to offer them to any other body deemed appropriate, or to recycle them.

7. Deselection

The following criteria are used for deselecting lending collection items:

8. Disposal

Libraries Tasmania may dispose of withdrawn library items and unwanted donations by any combination of the following methods:

Where items have been identified as having no alternative use, environmentally sustainable practices such as recycling will be used for disposal. Library Managers will make local decisions of how best to dispose of withdrawn stock for pulping

Library Managers and their delegates will document disposal decisions and arrangements for each site in their catchment.

9. Definitions

Floating Collection

A floating library collection is a group of items not housed permanently at one specific library but instead shelved at the library where they were most recently checked-in.

Format

The physical or digital makeup of an item. Formats may include books, serials, maps, pictures, microform, computer file, DVD and CD.

Holds 

The process whereby a client places a reserve on an item through the library management system.  The item is then sent to the requesting client’s library for collection once it is available.  

Item

Any title, regardless of format.

LOTE

Languages Other Than English

Materials

Any works or items.

Resources

Library resources can be in many formats, physical or digital, including books, databases, maps, microform and newspapers, and are used for accessing and sharing information.

Series

A book series is a set or series of novels which share common themes, characters, or settings, but where each novel has its own title and free-standing storyline and can thus be read independently or out of sequence.

Stack Collections

A book stack is a book storage area as opposed to a book browsing area.  Collections of less popular items can be stored off site and made accessible to clients via the holds service.

Transfers

The process whereby libraries run reports to identify items that have been ‘read out’ in order to send them to a larger library for review and consideration by a new audience.

Works

A ‘work’ may be a monograph, pamphlet, newspaper, map or ephemera. It may refer to a single book or resource or it may be used to describe the total output of an individual for example ‘the works of Richard Flanagan’.