TARGET: Selection Tools

[sbrisco <sbrisco021@CHARTER.NET>]

I know that many are now gone, but for those who are still there monitoring
the list, I am just curious about the "selection tools" that you use for
materials in your library.

What tools are you using to select library materials?  (Professional library
journal reviews, professional journal ads, fliers, Amazon.com, Wilson
Elementary, Junior High, Middle School, or High School Catalogs, electronic
reading program websites, actual professional review of materials on-site
with a vendor, etc.?)

I'm noticing that many librarians are using Amazon.com (and other online
book stores) as a primary choice to check reviews of materials before
ordering materials.  Are online bookstores such as Amazon currently being
taught as a "selection tool" in the library programs?  Is anyone checking
these online bookstore reviews and then double-checking the primary source
(such as an SLJ partial review posted on Amazon then going to the journal to
read the entire review) to see if the review was taken out of context to
sell the material online?

I'm still doing a lot of the selection "the old fashion-way" with reviews
that I read online through sources such as Follett's Titlewave or Amazon
(then double-checking the Wilson Catalogs, professional reviews from
journals, or other current and retrospective tools, to see what is really
being said).  I'm just curious as to what is being taught in the library
school programs because of what I'm seeing (and hearing about online) by
librarians--or soon to be librarians.  This seems to be one of those "new"
areas that we've grown to accept as librarians, but I'm wondering if there
might be some problems if newer librarians aren't using the "tried-and-true"
selection (and retrospective selection) tools to build library collections.

I would love to hear from those who are teaching selection courses in
library programs at the university level.  What are you instructing and do
you see a trend developing?  What are the pros and cons that you see
evolving from this new trend?  Do you see a trend?

You may post information to me privately or to the list.  I have checked the
archives but only found a question that was requesting the same information
(probably for a journal article).  I will post a HIT if others are
interested in this topic too!

~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net

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