Developing a Juvenile Literature Collection in an Academic Library

Abstract

Maintaining a juvenile collection in a university setting requires a careful consideration of both the juvenile materials market and the academic uses of juvenile materials. Because juvenile materials can range from pre-reader items to young adult literature and may exist in different locations and under different authorities within the academy, juvenile collection management can be a complex task. The purpose of this chapter is to serve as a guide to collection managers charged with developing and maintaining a juvenile collection for use by professional programs in education and librarianship. Discussions on the nature and uses of juvenile materials in the academy, collection policies, and evaluation strategies for juvenile collections, selection tools, and resources available to librarians, and emerging issues in juvenile collection management are included.