It is a great pleasure to present the edited collection Contemporary Issues in Collection Management (CIiCM).  This work arises from the excellent efforts of a diverse set of authors, and presents a series of thoughtful and engaging perspectives into collection management issues.  While the book provides current, nuanced and informative discussions of various collection management topics, it more importantly highlights the changing nature of scholarship by underscoring the crucial role students can play as scholars and contributors to scholarly conversations and (open) educational resources.

As evinced by the topics in the books, the sub-field of collection management is faced with no shortage of current challenges.  From the impact of technology and development of new publishing approaches and business models to an increasingly diversified array of formats and subject matter for collecting, librarians in public, academic and other settings are beset with numerous potential challenges in developing collections that reflect their community and users.  CIiCM is not meant as introductory text on the subject collection management.  For readers looking for an introductory treatment of the subject see Evans & Saponaro (2019), Gregory (2019) or Johnson (2018).  However, CIiCM functions as a complement to these works by examining and explicating contemporary issues. While CIiCM has been written from a Canadian and North American perspective, the chapters hold relevance to librarians working in any jurisdiction.

The book also comes at a particularly timely period as libraries across North America face increased challenges over their collections.  In 2022 the American Library Association (ALA) reported the highest number of demands to censor books since it began collecting such data (ALA, n.d.).  Library collections have become deeply politicized (Burnett, 2022; Carlisle, 2022; Gowen 2022; Kurtz, 2022), making the subject of collection management eminently relevant. The situation has become particularly critical and divisive in some jurisdictions, especially in relation to school library collections (Gore, 2023). While the politicization of collections is a salient concern within the field, other major issues such as the impact of new publishing and distribution models, technological change, the oligopolization of the publishing industry, and growing concerns around improving the accessibility collections are also important currents. Given these developments, CIiCM‘s chapters serve a particularly timely role in addressing these and more contemporary issues.

CIiCM also demonstrates the power and potential of open education and open pedagogy. Arising from a need to move beyond disposable assignments (Wiley, 2013) and also in recognition of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (ACRL, 2016), the book demonstrates the role students can play as contributors to scholarly discussions and resources. Contemporary Issues in Collection Management had its genesis in the in person class LIS 531 Collection Management from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta in the Fall 2022 semester. While the Collections Management class served as the spring board for the book, all of the authors here have had to contribute their own voluntary labour outside of the classroom to further developing their work for CIiCM. In addition, while CIiCM stands to complement existing collections management textbooks, it stands out as an openly licensed work.

The book begins with “Physical or Digital: The Fundamental Challenge of Modern Collection Development” by Julia Sieben and Winston Pei.  Their chapter explores the tensions in resource type, and underscores the considerations involved in managing  physical or digital materials. Continuing the theme of technology, “As Seen on BookTok: Exploring Intersections Between TikTok and Public Library Collection Development” by Chelsea Chiovelli and Kelsey Cameron examines the impact of TikTok on library collections.  Chiovelli and Cameron guide the reader through several aspects including surges in demand and the need to ensure balance within a collection.

The third chapter, “Challenges to 2SLGTBQ+ Collections: A Guide for Libraries” by Marty Grande-Sherbert, Nicole Pope and Andrew Ip provides a through treatment of concerns related to 2SLGTBQ+ materials. In addition to extensive discussion of the subject, the authors foreground their work with a strong ethical commitment to inclusion.

In “Locked In: EBook Loan Limitations and Licensing Agreements in Public Libraries”, Danielle Deschamps discusses the impact of ebook licensing agreements.  The chapters presents a series of thoughtful options for librarians wishing to overcome the limitations of onerous ebook licensing terms.  Complementing the focus on ebooks is Amy Nowakowsky and Kat Voy’s “The Ebook Pricing War: The Fight for Control Between Libraries and Publishers.” Nowakowsky and Voy’s chapter scrutinizes the power of publishers, particularly in relation to price setting for ebooks. Taken collectively the chapters by Deschamps and Nowakowky and Voy provide a thorough treatment of ebooks.

The sixth chapter, “Issues in the Management of Accessible Collections in Public Libraries for People with Physical Disabilities”, by Grace Turnbull, Reis Pouliot and Sadaf Hakimizadeh investigates another important and timely issue in collections – accessibility. Their chapter covers the range of challenges faced by users with physical disabilities and provides an illuminating discussion of potential responsibilities.  This chapter is followed by Faye Willauer’s “What Little We Know About the Hidden Challenges for Library Users with Invisible Disabilities.”  Willauer’s contribution examines the often overlooked, but critically important issue of accessibility for individuals with a range of disabilities too often overlooked.  Taken collectively, the two chapters probe the issue of accessibility in collections with considerable depth.

Melissa Ramsey’s “‘Just in Time’ Collection Development: Background and Current Challenges” is a thoughtful exploration of demand-driven acquisition. Ramsey covers both the the limitations of demand-driven approaches, as well as highlight several useful responses to such limitations. In “Climate Change Considerations in Public Library Collection Development” Olesya Komarnytska and Maia Trotter take a novel approach to explicate how public libraries can respond to the climate crisis through their collections.  Their chapter specifically highlights new initiatives by two Canadian public libraries in this regard. Finally, Dandi Wang centers academic libraries and an important collection development consideration in her chapter “Collection Development and Management of Research Data.” Wang’s work sheds light on how academic libraries must address issues of research data management as a collection function.

To assist the reader each chapter has been structured with common main headings – each chapter has a section entitled Introduction, Background and Current Context, Challenges, and Responses.  Additionally, chapters conclude with a list of suggested resources and a full set of references.

Finally, I wish to once again underscore the considerable effort and excellent work from the authors. Their dedication to seeing through what began as a class assignment is notable, and it serves as a critical reminder that “students are consumers and creators of information who can participate successfully in collaborative spaces” (ACRL, 2016, p. 8). I also want to thank Michelle Brailey and Sarah Shaughnessy from University of Alberta Libraries without whom this book would not be possible. Inevitably the book may contain some small errors, and I alone am responsible for these.

Michael B. McNally,

July 2023

References

American Library Association [ALA]. (N.d.). ALA reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2023, from https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/book-ban-data

Association of College and Research Libraries [ACRL]. (2016). Framework for information literacy for higher education. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

Burnett, J. (2022, August 31). Local libraries have become a major political and cultural battleground. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/31/1119752817/local-libraries-have-become-a-major-political-and-cultural-battleground

Carlisle, M. (2022, September 7). Public libraries face threats to funding and collections as book bans surge. Time Magazine. https://time.com/6211350/public-libraries-book-bans/

Evans, G. E., & Saponaro, M. Z. (2019). Collection management basics. 7th Ed. ABC-CLIO.

Gowen, A. (2022, April 17). Censorship battles’ new frontier Your public library. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/04/17/public-libraries-books-censorship/

Gore, H. (2023, June 12). Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs ban on ‘sexually explicit’ books in school libraries into law. Austin American-Statesman. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/06/12/hb-900-texas-book-ban-gov-greg-abbott-sign-banning-sexually-explicit-content-public-school-libraries/70314516007/

Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library collections: An introduction. 2nd Ed. American Library Association

Johnson, P. (2018). Fundamentals of collection development and management. 4th Ed. American Library Association: ProQuest Ebook Central.

Kurtz, S. (2022, February 24). The battle for the soul of the library. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/opinion/battle-library-neutrality.html

Wiley, D. (2013, October 21) What is open pedagogy? https://opencontent.org/blog/archives/2975