In addition to what some others have said I would recommend checking award lists for your grade/subject area, including lesser known awards like the Christys (religious fiction and non-fiction http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=13&Itemid=56) and the Nebulas (scifi http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/).
I used JLG once and found the selections not academically rigorous enough to continue. Maybe that was my fault for not choosing the right package. I do get their newsletters and check their lists.
One other resource is Goodreads. You can sign up for giveaways (I’ve received 6 that I have cataloged and two I didn’t feel was a good fit for the collection). You can also “friend” librarians to see their reviews of books but also a general public vibe for the book.
Lastly, I use my school book club to get a feel for what students are interested in and reading.
Hope this helps,
Dawn M. Zillich, librarian
St. Paul Catholic High School
"The old idea of the librarian as a sort of recluse closeted with his books and
interested only in them is the very antithesis of the modern librarian, who
must live with people equally with books, and who must also be keenly aware
of all that is going on in the world around him."
~Linda A. Eastman~ (Head Librarian of the Cleveland Public Library, 1918 to 1938)
From: CASL-L [mailto:casl-l-bounces+dzillich=spchs.com@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Kirsten Anderson
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2015 5:24 PM
To: Lauren Hunt
Cc: CASL_L; Kerry Darby
Subject: Re: [CASL-L] So many books...so little time
I keep track of student requests we don't have as well and the students love it. I also use JLG because my district's budget is often frozen so it keeps books coming into the library throughout the year. I also look at Amazon best sellers for the popular books for students and then try to find nf books that align with teacher requests from publishers I trust like Capstone and Crabtree. Definitely not a perfect system but it's only my second year...
Kirsten Anderson
Deans Mill/West Broad Elementary Schools
Stonington, CT
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:43 AM, Lauren Hunt <lhunt@milforded.org> wrote:
In addition to reviewing my collection (I generate analysis reports using Destiny) I also have a "book suggestion box" I use to see what books students want to read. They just fill out a card and drop it in the box. They LOVE making suggestions for the library.
On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 7:11 AM, Kerry Darby via CASL-L <casl-l@mylist.net> wrote:
Hi everyone,
I was hoping people could share the process they use for collection development. How do you chose what books to order? Do you have a system in place? What reviewing materials do you find most useful? Do you use Junior Library Guild? Do you use the Wilson Core Collection? Thanks!
Kerry Darby
Library Media Specialist
Lawrence School
Middletown, CT
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