Book Selection Principles - Librarians Portal

Book Selection Principles

Selecting books for a library requires sagacity, adroitness, and attention to the users' needs for everything from books and other materials. The type of library is a major factor that influences book selection. To make a good selection, you should have substantial tolerance and a flexible attitude to meet the varied needs of the users. Librarians must be capable of impartially determining what is best, why it is so, and for whom. At the same time, librarians should also be aware of their resources – budget, manpower, space, etc. – and the constraints they would impose.

The principles of selection are important and should be given their due consideration, but the needs of the users being served must also be catered to based on their Library

Public Libraries are known for their diversity, as each one of them is meant to serve its own community. Therefore, selection priorities differ from library to library. Nevertheless, a public library should include materials that provide information on social and cultural matters as well as the daily needs of life.

Academic Libraries have an advantage over public libraries because their clientele is homogeneous. They exist to support and promote the educational programs of the institution with which each one is affiliated. The selection should meet the curricular, cocurricular, and research needs of the respective institutions.

Special Libraries cater to specialized users and have collections of specialized materials to support the research programs of their parent organizations. Typically, they build up collections of current literature, including periodicals, government publications, reports, standards, patents, reviews, advances, handbooks, manuals, data books, etc.

For being a good Librarian and maintaining a good collection, there are four principles for library book selection to keep in mind. 

Drury's Principles

The basic principle, which still governs the selection of reading material for a library, was enunciated by Drury in 1930. It states: ^"To provide the right book to the right reader at the right time”. The reader is the central character. A document is right or otherwise in relation to the reader. It is to be provided when the reader needs it for use. The selector should know the readers and their requirements. He should select only that material which caters to the information, educational and recreational needs of the readers. The selected material should be procured expeditiously to be made available to the user when he needs it. Knowing the needs of the -readers and knowing the documents which can meet these needs is important in making the selection of documents.

Dewey’s Principle

Melvil Dewey^'s principle states: "The best reading for the largest number at the least cost" According to this principle a library should select, within the financial resources available, the best documents which may satisfy the information needs of the maximum number of readers.  

McColvin's Principles

L.R McColvin advanced his Demand and Supply Theory of Book Selection in 1925. He states, "Books in themselves are nothing. They have no more meaning than the white paper upon which they are printed, until they are made serviceable by demand. The more closely book selection is related to demand, the greater is the resultant and possible service". The term "supply" refers to the availability of reading material in all its varieties. "Demand", on the other hand, means expressed and unexpressed informational needs of the users. This theory advocates the selection of only those documents which are demanded by the users for their informational needs.

Ranganathan's Principles

Ranganathan's first three Laws of Library Science are helpful in formulating the principles of document selection.

The First Law -- Books are for use - makes it obligatory that only those documents should be selected which are of use to the clientele of a particular library. While selecting the documents, the present and potential requirements of the users must be kept in view. A school or public library should avoid the selection of costly books which are not likely to be in frequent demand. For a children's library, the books should be illustrated in bold typeface and attractive.

The Second Law of Library Science - every reader his/her book - directs the selector to cater to the informational needs of all the users of the library. The subject or the language or the style of exposition of documents to be selected should be in accordance with the requirement of the users.

Ranganathan's Third Law of Library Science - Every book its reader - suggests that all efforts should be made to put to use those documents of value which have been selected in anticipation of the needs of the users.