Please can you buy this one for the library?!

How do students at your school let you know what they’d like you to buy for the library?

There are many ways you gather ideas and information for developing the library collection, and many advantages in having enthusiastic student input into what they would like you to purchase for the library.  

• How do they make their recommendations for purchase?

• How do you record them and collate them to assist with your buying?

• Do you give feedback, eg what the library has already, when it is likely to be bought, and if not why not?

Some primary schools have an exercise book ruled up into a Suggestions Book with columns for name, date, room number, suggestion / comment, and feedback. This is a simple and accessible way for students to have a say, and to see the librarian’s response, and is often a wonderful way to capture compliments about the library too!

Library surveys are a useful way to gather information for collection development. Your library blog could be another vehicle for gathering input, or maybe a LibraryThing account, or online bookshops’ “wishlist” functions – perhaps your student librarians can be responsible for adding to this?

Here is another option from Travis Jonker writing in 100 Scope Notes SLJ blog, where he describes an online Google form which collates the entries into a spreadsheet.

Build your own magical book request machine

What strategies do you find most helpful for gathering and managing requests and recommendations for purchase?

How do you:

• celebrate the new books bought and the people who recommended them

• share the collection development process, budget availability and priorities for purchase

• encourage and empower students and staff to have a say in what is available on the library shelves?